MEANING
1. To examine a substance to determine its composition, amount, or quality.
2. To attempt a task or undertaking.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- assay an ore
- assay a sample
On the page
The chemist assayed the powder before allowing anyone near it.
They assayed the ore and found less silver than the owner claimed.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- assay
- Past tense
- assayed
- Past participle
- assayed
- Present participle
- assaying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- assay
- Present continuous
- am/is/are assaying
- Present perfect
- have/has assayed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been assaying
- Past
- assayed
- Past continuous
- was/were assaying
- Past perfect
- had assayed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been assaying
- Future
- will assay
- Future continuous
- will be assaying
- Future perfect
- will have assayed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been assaying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: assay; assays; assayed; assayed; assaying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: assays.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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