Definition of assay. Meaning of assay. Synonyms of assay
Here you will find one or more explanations in English for the word assay.
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Definition of assay
Assay Assay 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.
Assay Assay 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.
Assay Assay As*say", v. i.
To attempt, try, or endeavor. [Archaic. In this sense essay
is now commonly used.]
She thrice assayed to speak. --Dryden.
