assaying
present participle of assay
assaying (plural assayings)
A trial by assay.
• gainsays, gaysians
Source: Wiktionary
As*say"ing, n.
Definition: The act or process of testing, esp. of analyzing or examining metals and ores, to determine the proportion of pure metal.
As*say", n. Etym: [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)
Definition: 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. 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.] Etym: [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.
Definition: To attempt, try, or endeavor. [Archaic. In this sense essay is now commonly used.] She thrice assayed to speak. Dryden.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
12 December 2024
(noun) contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse
Wordscapes is a popular word game consistently in the top charts of both Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The Android version has more than 10 million installs. This guide will help you get more coins in less than two minutes of playing the game. Continue reading Wordscapes: Get More Coins