assay. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

assay

SYLLABICATION:	as·say
PRONUNCIATION:	s, -s
NOUN:	1a. Qualitative or quantitative analysis of a substance, especially of an ore or drug, to determine its components. b. A substance to be so analyzed. c. The result of such an analysis. 2. An analysis or examination. 3. Archaic An attempt; an essay.
VERB:	Inflected forms: as·sayed, as·say·ing, as·says (-s, s)
TRANSITIVE VERB:	1. To subject to chemical analysis. 2. To examine by trial or experiment; put to a test: assay one's ability to speak Chinese. 3. To evaluate; assess: assayed the situation before taking action. See synonyms at estimate. 4. To attempt; try.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	To be shown by analysis to contain a certain proportion of usually precious metal.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, from Old French essai, assai. See essay.
OTHER FORMS:	as·saya·ble —ADJECTIVE as·sayer —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.