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assault

noun
/əˈsɒlt/UK/əˈsɔlt/US/əˈsɑlt/

Etymology

From Middle English assaut, from Old French noun assaut, derived from the past participle of the verb assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assail. Spelling Latinized around 1530 to add an l.

  1. derived from ad — “at, towards”
  2. derived from assalio
  3. inherited from assaut

Definitions

  1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, for example blows, weapons, etc.

    • The army made an assault on the enemy.
    • The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault.
    • Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.

  2. A violent verbal attack, for example with insults, criticism, and the like

    • She launched a written assault on the opposition party.

  3. An attempt to commit battery

    An attempt to commit battery: a violent attempt, or willful effort with force or violence, to do hurt to another, but without necessarily touching the person, such as by raising a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at the person and missing.

  4. ›+ 6 more definitions

    1. The crime whose action is such an attempt.

    2. An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm (such as brandishing a…

      An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm (such as brandishing a weapon).

    3. The tort whose action is such an act.

    4. A non-competitive combat between two fencers.

    5. To attack, physically or figuratively

      To attack, physically or figuratively; to assail.

      • Tom was accused of assaulting another man outside a nightclub.
      • Loud music assaulted our ears as we entered the building.

    6. To threaten or harass.

The neighborhood

Derived

antiassault, apesault, counterassault, cyberassault, nonassault, reassault, microassault, assaultable, assaultee, assaulter, assaultive, nonassaulted, sexually assault, unassaulted

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at assault. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01assault02criticism03criticising04criticise05standard06post07battery

A definitional loop anchored at assault. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at assault

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA