assay

plural assays

1. Trial, attempt.

   I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance.

   [1644], [John Milton], Of Education. To Master Samuel Hartlib, [London]: […] [Thomas Underhill and/or Thomas Johnson], →OCLC

2. Examination and determination; test.

   This cannot be, by no assay of reason.

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

3. The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
4. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.

   Through many hard assayes which did betide.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 35

5. Tested purity or value.

   Purfled with gold and pearl of rich assay.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 13

6. 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.
7. The alloy or metal to be assayed.

present singular third person assays · participle present assaying · participle past assayed · past assayed

1. transitiveTo attempt (something).First known use 14th c.

   To-night let us assay our plot.

   c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]

   3 more examples

   Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed.

   1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   Who seest the stark array And hast not stayed to count But singly wilt assay The many-cannoned mount[…].

   1936, Alfred Edward Housman, More Poems, IV, The Sage to the Young Man, ll.5-8

   Speaking before a small crowd beneath antique airplanes suspended in the atrium of the State of Iowa Historical Museum, an effortfully cheerful Mr Romney assayed an early version of a stump speech I imagine will become a staple of his campaign for the Republican nomination, once it "officially" begins some time next week in New Hampshire.

   2011 May 28, “All-pro, anti-American”, in The Economist

2. archaicintransitiveTo try, attempt (to do something).First known use 14th–19th c.

   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.

   1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts

3. transitiveTo analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.).First known use 15th c.
4. obsoletetransitiveTo test the abilities of (someone) in combat; to fight.First known use 15th–17th c.

   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

   1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xviij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV

   1 more example

   The marquis, in obsession for his wife, Longed to expose her constancy to test. He could not throw the thought away or rest, Having a marvellous passion to assay her; Needless, God knows, to frighten and dismay her, He had assayed her faith enough before And ever found her good; what was the need Of heaping trial on her, more and more?

   1951, Geoffrey Chaucer, translated by Nevill Coghill, The Canterbury Tales: Translated into Modern English (Penguin Classics), Penguin Books, published 1977, page 351

5. To affect.

   when the heart is ill assay'd

   1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “August. Ægloga Octaua.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], →OCLC

6. To try tasting, as food or drink.