assay

1. (transitive) To attempt (something).Examples: "To-night let us assay our plot."; "Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed."; "Who seest the stark array And hast not stayed to count But singly wilt assay The many-cannoned mount[…]."transitive

2. (archaic, intransitive) To try, attempt (to do something).Examples: "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."archaicintransitive

3. (transitive) To analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.).transitive

4. (obsolete, transitive) To test the abilities of (someone) in combat; to fight.Examples: "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"; "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?"obsoletetransitive