assault
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈsɒlt/
ipa: /əˈsɔːlt/
ipa: /əˈsɔlt/
ipa: /əˈsɑlt/
ipa: /əˈsʌlt/
rhymes: -ɔːlt
rhymes: -ɒlt
rhymes: (regional, California) -ʌlt
Forms: form: assaults
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.
Senses: examples: text: The army made an assault on the enemy.
text: The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault.
ref: 1855–1858, William H[ickling] Prescott, History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson, and Company, →OCLC:
text: Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.
ref: 1814, William Wordsworth, The Excursion, Book 5:
text: Hostilities peaked with the Skyllian Blitz of 2176, an attack on the human capital of Elysium by batarian-funded pirates and slavers. In 2178, the Alliance retaliated with a crushing assault on the moon of Torfan, long used as a staging base by batarian-backed criminals. In the aftermath, the batarians retreated into their own systems, and are now rarely seen in Citadel space.
ref: 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Batarians Codex entry:
glosses: A violent onset or attack with physical means, for example blows, weapons, etc.
examples: text: She launched a written assault on the opposition party.
glosses: A violent verbal attack, for example with insults, criticism, and the like
qualifier: crime law
glosses: 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.
topics: law
glosses: The crime whose action is such an attempt.
glosses: An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm (such as brandishing a weapon).
topics: law
glosses: The tort whose action is such an act.
topics: fencing
government
hobbies
lifestyle
martial-arts
military
politics
sports
war
glosses: A non-competitive combat between two fencers.
Synonyms: word: onfall
word: onrush
word: aggression
word: assailment
word: assault
word: attack
word: attempt
word: offense
word: offensive
word: onset
word: onslaught
word: strike
Hyponyms: word: beating
Coordinate terms: battery
Derived terms: word: antiassault
word: apesault
word: counterassault
word: cyberassault
word: microassault
word: nonassault
word: reassault
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: aggravated assault
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: amphibious assault ship
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: assault and battery
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: assault at arms
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: assault course
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: assault rifle
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: assault weapon
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: indecent assault
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: meat assault
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: sexual assault
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: tubular assault
sense: Compound words and expressions
word: verbal assault
Related terms: word: fight