English Explanatory Dictionary

assay

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Trial, attempt.
  2. Examination and determination; test.
  3. The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
  4. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
  5. Tested purity or value.
  6. 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.
  7. The alloy or metal to be assayed.
verb
  1. To attempt (something).
  2. To try, attempt (to do something).
  3. To analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.).
  4. To test the abilities of (someone) in combat; to fight.
  5. To affect.
  6. To try tasting, as food or drink.

Pronunciation

/ˈæseɪ/ /əˈseɪ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-assay.wav

Word forms

assay assays assaying assayed

Etymology

From Middle English assay (noun) and assayen (verb), from Anglo-Norman assai (noun) and Anglo-Norman assaier (verb), from Old French essai. Doublet of essay.

Derived words

assay dish assay-dish assay mark assay office assay plate assay pound assay ton bandshift assay Bradford assay ecoassay fire assay interassay intraassay microassay multiassay nanoassay pan-assay interference compound pathoassay preassay seroassay specific gravity assay bioassay immunoassay radioassay radioimmunoassay assayable assayer bioassayed reassay unassayed

Translations

Azerbaijani: cəhd etmək Catalan: assajar de Catalan: provar (de) Catalan: tractar de Catalan: procurar de German: versuchen German: probieren Russian: пыта́ться Spanish: probar Spanish: tratar
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