Dictionary of problem words and expressions. Harry Shaw. 1975.
essay — See assay. See assay, essay … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
assay — See assay, essay … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
Assay — As*say , n. [OF. asai, essai, trial, F. essa. See {Essay}, n.] 1. Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Assay master — Assay As*say , n. [OF. asai, essai, trial, F. essa. See {Essay}, n.] 1. Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance. Milton. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Assay ton — Assay As*say , n. [OF. asai, essai, trial, F. essa. See {Essay}, n.] 1. Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] Chaucer. [1913 Webster] I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance. Milton. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Essay — Es say, n.; pl. {Essays}. [F. essai, fr. L. exagium a weighing, weight, balance; ex out + agere to drive, do; cf. examen, exagmen, a means of weighing, a weighing, the tongue of a balance, exigere to drive out, examine, weigh, Gr. exa gion a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Essay — Es*say , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Essayed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Essaying}.] [F. essayer. See {Essay}, n.] 1. To exert one s power or faculties upon; to make an effort to perform; to attempt; to endeavor; to make experiment or trial of; to try. [1913… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
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] [1913 Webster] To night let us assay our plot. Shak … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
essay — [n1] written discourse article, composition, discussion, disquisition, dissertation, explication, exposition, manuscript, paper, piece, study, theme, thesis, tract, treatise; concept 271 essay [n2] try, attempt aim, bid, dry run*, effort,… … New thesaurus
assay — [as′ā, a sā′; ] for v. [ a sā′, əsā] n. [ME & Anglo Fr assai < OFr essai, trial: see ESSAY, n.] 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… … English World dictionary
