assault

assault
I. noun Etymology: Middle English assaut, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *assaltus, from assalire Date: 14th century 1. a. a violent physical or verbal attack b. a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces c. a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary) 2. a. a threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily harm on a person (as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner) that puts the person in immediate danger of or in apprehension of such harm or contact — compare battery 1b b. rape 2 II. verb Date: 15th century transitive verb 1. to make an assault on 2. rape 2 intransitive verb to make an assault Synonyms: see attackassaulter noun

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • assault — as·sault 1 /ə sȯlt/ n [Old French assaut, literally, attack, ultimately from Latin assultus, from assilire to leap (on), attack] 1: the crime or tort of threatening or attempting to inflict immediate offensive physical contact or bodily harm… …   Law dictionary

  • ASSAULT — ASSAULT, the infliction of any degree of violence on the body of another person, whether injury results or not. The biblical injunction, he may be given up to 40 lashes but not more (Deut. 25:3), which applies to flogging by way of punishment,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Assault — As*sault , n. [OE. asaut, assaut, OF. assaut, asalt, F. assaut, LL. assaltus; L. ad + saltus a leaping, a springing, salire to leap. See {Assail}.] 1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Assault — As*sault , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assaulted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Assaulting}.] [From {Assault}, n.: cf. OF. assaulter, LL. assaltare.] 1. To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • assault — n *attack, onslaught, onset Analogous words: assailing, bombarding or bombardment, storming or storm (see corresponding verbs at ATTACK): *invasion, incursion, raid assault vb storm, *attack, bombard, assail …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • assault — [n] attack advance, aggression, charge, incursion, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, rape, storm, storming, strike, violation; concept 86 assault [v] attack abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on* …   New thesaurus

  • assault — ► NOUN 1) a violent attack. 2) Law an act that threatens physical harm to a person. 3) a concentrated attempt to do something difficult. ► VERB ▪ make an assault on. DERIVATIVES assaultive adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • assault — [ə sôlt′] n. [ME assaut < OFr assaut, assalt < VL * assaltus < assalire: see ASSAIL] 1. a violent attack, either physical or verbal 2. euphemism for RAPE1 3. Law an unlawful threat or unsuccessful attempt to do physical harm to another,… …   English World dictionary

  • assault at — ● assault …   Useful english dictionary

  • Assault — This article is about the criminal act. For tortious aspects of assault, see Assault (tort). For other uses, see Assault (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • assault — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 crime of attacking sb ADJECTIVE ▪ brutal, ferocious, savage, vicious, violent ▪ armed ▪ criminal …   Collocations dictionary

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