Assaying

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Assaying \As*say"ing\, n.
     The act or process of testing, esp. of analyzing or examining
     metals and ores, to determine the proportion of pure metal.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Assay \As*say"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assayed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Assaying}.] [OF. asaier, essaier, F. essayer, fr. essai. See
     {Assay}, n., {Essay}, v.]
     1. To try; to attempt; to apply. [Obs. or Archaic]
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              To-night let us assay our plot.       --Shak.
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              Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed.
                                                    --Milton.
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     2. To affect. [Obs.]
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              When the heart is ill assayed.        --Spenser.
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     3. To try tasting, as food or drink. [Obs.]
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     4. To subject, as an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound,
        to chemical or metallurgical examination, in order to
        determine the amount of a particular metal contained in
        it, or to ascertain its composition.
        [1913 Webster]