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Definition of 'assay'

Word Frequency

assay

(æseɪ )
Word forms: plural assays
countable noun
An assay is a test of a substance to find out what chemicals it contains. It is usually carried out to find out how pure a substance is.
[technical]
Synonyms: analysis, test, trial, investigation   More Synonyms of assay
More Synonyms of assay
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

assay in British

verb (əˈseɪ )
1. 
to subject (a substance, such as silver or gold) to chemical analysis, as in the determination of the amount of impurity
2. (transitive)
to attempt (something or to do something)
3. (tr; may take a clause as object)
to test, analyse, or evaluate
to assay the significance of early childhood experience
noun (əˈseɪ , ˈæseɪ )
4. 
a. 
an analysis, esp a determination of the amount of metal in an ore or the amounts of impurities in a precious metal
b. 
(as modifier)
an assay office
5. 
a substance undergoing an analysis
6. 
a written report on the results of an analysis
7. 
a test
8. archaic
an attempt
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
assayable (asˈsayable)
  adjective
assayer (asˈsayer)
  noun
Word origin of 'assay'
C14: from Old Northern French assai; see essay
Word Frequency

assay in American

(ˈæseɪ ; asˈā; æˈseɪ ; asāˈ; for v. æˈseɪ ; asāˈ; əseɪ ; əsā)
noun
1. 
an examination or testing
2. 
the analysis of an ore, alloy, drug, etc. to determine the nature, proportion, or purity of the ingredients
3. 
a substance to be thus tested or analyzed
4. 
the result or report of such an analysis
5.  Rare
an attempt
verb transitive
6. 
to make an assay of; test; analyze
7. 
to attempt
verb intransitive US
8. 
to be shown by analysis to contain a specified proportion of some component
this ore assays high in gold
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
assayer (asˈsayer)
  noun
Word origin of 'assay'
ME & Anglo-Fr assai < OFr essai, trial: see essay, n.

Example sentences containing 'assay'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
A slight chance, a negligible chance, but one he dared not fail to assay. Robert Silverberg VALENTINE PONTIFEX (2001)

Trends of 'assay'

In Common Usage. assay is one of the 10000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'assay'

  • assault troops
  • assaultively
  • assaultiveness
  • assay
  • assay kit
  • assay office
  • -assed

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'A'

Related Terms of 'assay'

  • assay kit
  • assay office
  • enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Source

Definition of assay from the Collins English Dictionary

Noun phrases with several determiners

Most noun phrases contain only one determiner or none at all, but if there are more, they follow a definite order. Determiners can be divided into four groups, depending on what other determiners the...
Read more about 'Noun phrases with several determiners'
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Scrabble score for 'assay': 8
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