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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

assay

/ˈæsi/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:39
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What does assay mean?

noun

  1. Trial, attempt.
  2. Examination and determination; test.
  3. The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
More meanings (10)

noun

  1. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
  2. Tested purity or value.
  3. 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.
  4. The alloy or metal to be assayed.

verb

  1. To attempt (something).
  2. To analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.).
  3. To affect.
  4. To try tasting, as food or drink.
  5. (archaic) To try, attempt (to do something).
  6. (obsolete) To test the abilities of (someone) in combat; to fight.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈæsi/

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

“I will assay, then,” said the knight, “a ballad composed by a Saxon glee-man, whom I knew in Holy Land.”
Walter ScottIvanhoe: A RomanceProject Gutenberg ebook #82
And, after all, it was only some rock pounded for assay.
Robert Louis StevensonThe Silverado SquattersProject Gutenberg ebook #516
More book examples (3)
A small fragment examined under the microscope appeared, from the number of minute entangled air or perhaps steam bubbles, like an assay fused before the blowpipe.
Charles DarwinThe Voyage of the BeagleProject Gutenberg ebook #944
Who ever shunn’d by precedent The destin’d ill she must herself assay, Or force’d examples ’gainst her own content, To put the by-pass’d perils in her way?
William ShakespeareThe Complete Works of William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg ebook #100
And when he was thus chosen, he would assay if he might trust in them or no, and whether they would be obeissant to him or no.
John, Sir MandevilleThe Travels of Sir John MandevilleProject Gutenberg ebook #782