Meaning of ASSAY
| Pronunciation: | | [n]'usey, [v]u'sey, u'sey
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | |
- [n] an appraisal of the state of affairs; "they made an assay of the contents"; "a check on its dependability under stress"
- [v] analyze (chemical substances)
- [v] make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world"
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| | Synonyms: | | attempt, check, essay, seek, try |
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| | See Also: | | act, adventure, analyse, analyze, Apgar score, appraisal, assessment, bioassay, bioassay, canvass, chance, diagnostic assay, diagnostic test, endeavor, endeavour, examine, examine, fight, gamble, give it a try, give it a whirl, grope, hazard, lay on the line, move, paternity test, pick up the gauntlet, pregnancy test, prove, put on the line, risk, run a risk, Snellen test, stress test, strive, struggle, study, take a chance, take a dare, take chances, test, test, try out | |
| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | |
\As*say"\, n. [OF. asai, essai, trial, F. essa. See
{Essay}, n.]
1. Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more
easy in the assay than it now seems at distance.
--Milton.
2. Examination and determination; test; as, an assay of bread
or wine. [Obs.]
This can not be, by no assay of reason. --Shak.
3. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk;
hardship; state of being tried. [Obs.]
Through many hard assays which did betide.
--Spenser.
4. Tested purity or value. [Obs.]
With gold and pearl of rich assay. --Spenser.
5. (Metallurgy) The act or process of ascertaining the
proportion of a particular metal in an ore or alloy;
especially, the determination of the proportion of gold or
silver in bullion or coin.
6. The alloy or metal to be assayed. --Ure.
Usage: {Assay} and {essay} are radically the same word; but
modern usage has appropriated {assay} chiefly to
experiments in metallurgy, and {essay} to intellectual
and bodily efforts. See {Essay}.
Note: Assay is used adjectively or as the first part of a
compound; as, assay balance, assay furnace.
{Assay master}, an officer who assays or tests gold or silver
coin or bullion.
{Assay ton}, a weight of 29,1662/3 grams.
\As*say"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assayed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Assaying}.] [OF. asaier, essaier, F. essayer, fr. essai. See
{Assay}, n., {Essay}, v.]
1. To try; to attempt; to apply. [Obs. or Archaic]
To-night let us assay our plot. --Shak.
Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed.
--Milton.
2. To affect. [Obs.]
When the heart is ill assayed. --Spenser.
3. To try tasting, as food or drink. [Obs.]
4. To subject, as an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound,
to chemical or metallurgical examination, in order to
determine the amount of a particular metal contained in
it, or to ascertain its composition.
\As*say"\, v. i.
To attempt, try, or endeavor. [Archaic. In this sense essay
is now commonly used.]
She thrice assayed to speak. --Dryden.
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| Biology Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | A test for a particular substance. |
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| Thesaurus Terms |
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