What does "assay" mean?
Trial, attempt.
Assay
/ˈæseɪ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Trial, attempt.
- Grammar: assay is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: acid test, analysis, analysis, analyzation.
- Useful contrasts: avoid, ignore, neglect.
- Usage evidence: She was elated by the molybdenum assay of the ore sample from her claim.
How to use "assay"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "assay" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "assay" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "assay" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "assay" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "assay" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acid test" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "assay", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Trial, attempt.
"I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance."
- 2 a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc. wordnet
- 3 Examination and determination; test.
"This cannot be, by no assay of reason."
- 4 an appraisal of the state of affairs wordnet
- 5 The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a written report of the results of an analysis of the composition of some substance wordnet
- 7 Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
"Through many hard assayes which did betide."
- 8 a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components wordnet
- 9 Tested purity or value.
"Purfled with gold and pearl of rich assay."
- 10 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.
- 11 The alloy or metal to be assayed.
Verb
- 1 To attempt (something). transitive
"To-night let us assay our plot."
- 2 analyze (chemical substances) wordnet
- 3 To try, attempt (to do something). archaic, intransitive
"When Saul cam to Jerusalem he assayde to cople hymsilfe with the apostles, and they wer all afrayde of hym and beleved not that he was a disciple."
- 4 make an effort or attempt wordnet
- 5 To analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.). transitive
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To test the abilities of (someone) in combat; to fight. obsolete, transitive
"I wold not by my wille that ony of vs were matched with hym Nay said sir Gawayne not so it were shame to vs were he not assayed were he neuer soo good a knyghte"
- 7 To affect.
"when the heart is ill assay'd"
- 8 To try tasting, as food or drink.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"She was elated by the molybdenum assay of the ore sample from her claim."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "assay"?
Common synonyms include: acid test, analysis, analysis, analyzation, analyze, analyze.
How do you use "assay" in a sentence?
She was elated by the molybdenum assay of the ore sample from her claim.
How do you pronounce "assay"?
Pronounced /ˈæseɪ/.
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.