assay
1 of 2verb
as·say a-ˈsā 
ˈa-ˌsā
ˈa-ˌsā assayed; assaying; assays
transitive verb
1
a
: to analyze (something, such as an ore) for one or more specific components
assayed the gold to determine its purity
b
: to judge the worth of : estimate
assay the results of the new changes
2
: try, attempt
Again Israel assayed to reply, but could not.
Herman Melville
Herman Melvilleintransitive verb
: to prove up in an assay
assayer noun
assay
2 of 2noun
as·say ˈa-ˌsā a-ˈsā
a-ˈsā 1
: examination and determination as to characteristics (such as weight, measure, or quality)
2
: analysis (as of an ore or drug) to determine the presence, absence, or quantity of one or more components
also : a test used in this analysis
3
: a substance to be assayed
also : the tabulated result of assaying
4
archaic : trial, attempt
Did you know?
Usage experts warn against confusing the verbs assay and essay. Some confusion shouldn't be surprising, since the two words look alike and derive from the same root, the Middle French essai, meaning "test" or "effort" (a root that, in turn, comes from the Late Latin exagium, meaning "act of weighing"). At one time, the two terms were synonyms, sharing the meaning "try" or "attempt," but many modern usage commentators recommend that you differentiate the two words, using essay when you mean "to try or attempt" (as in "he will essay a dramatic role for the first time") and assay to mean "to test or evaluate" (as in "the blood was assayed to detect the presence of the antibody").
Synonyms
Verb
- analyze
- anatomize
- break down
- cut
- deconstruct
- dissect
Noun
- analysis
- anatomizing
- anatomy
- breakdown
- deconstruction
- dissection
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb They assayed the gold to determine its purity. the company assayed a sample of the rock to see if it contained gold in quantities worth mining Noun a metallurgist did an assay on the metal and determined it contained nickel the poem about a frustrated man's last assay at greatness
Recent Examples on the Web Frederick Daso, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Politics has opened new possibilities for Streep’s portfolio, with several new real-life roles to assay. Armond White, National Review, 6 July 2022 An obscure testing lab was hired to assay the metal because using the leading firm in the field would supposedly alert the Canadian nickel cartel. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 24 Mar. 2022 How does the saliva test differ from a standard nasal swab assay for COVID-19? Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2020 With spectrometers for assaying elements in the regolith, the briefcase-size rover hopes to make the most of the 14-Earth-day lunar day. Sanjay Kumar, Science | AAAS, 7 Sep. 2019 This Saturday, as a tribute to Previn’s memory at the opening weekend of Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony will assay the concerto, with Mutter as soloist. New York Times, 29 June 2019 But interoperability—from ad-blocking to switching app stores—is a means by which customers can assay real counteroffers. The Economist, 6 June 2019 After giving the foragers a day to recover from their treatments, the researchers assayed pathogen loads across all of the ants in the colony. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 26 Nov. 2018 Sylvain Gariel, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 To detect the changes in quality and quantity of P450-related metabolites, researchers successfully carried out an inhibition assay. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 In the study by Jochmans and collaborators, E166A and L167F individually provided low-level resistance (10- and 4-fold) in a biochemical assay, while the triple mutant L50F+E166A+L167F resulted in the highest levels of resistance (72-fold). William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 9 June 2022 The assay—which has been granted certification in Europe and is undergoing clinical validation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—comes as subvariants increasingly develop the ability to evade immunity, making antibody levels less relevant. Erin Prater, Fortune, 15 June 2022 CovidSHIELD is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a highly sensitive molecular assay that involves amplifying genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, to a detectable level. Anthony Warmack, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2022 According to the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, one key characteristic of a hs-cTn assay is the ability to detect troponin in ≥50% of healthy individuals7. Christos Varounis, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2021 This assay should be able to be readily adapted to other pathogens. Judy Stone, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2022 Wright says that only a mouse assay or a pricey molecular analysis tool operated by the state can definitively confirm that shellfish are truly safe to eat. Karen Pinchin, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022 See More
Verb
Farzi Yusufali: Under the guidance of geologists, mine owners and operators drill out long cores of rock for analysis, then assay each sample to determine the content. Frederick Daso, Forbes, 11 Aug. 2022 Politics has opened new possibilities for Streep’s portfolio, with several new real-life roles to assay. Armond White, National Review, 6 July 2022 An obscure testing lab was hired to assay the metal because using the leading firm in the field would supposedly alert the Canadian nickel cartel. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 24 Mar. 2022 How does the saliva test differ from a standard nasal swab assay for COVID-19? Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2020 With spectrometers for assaying elements in the regolith, the briefcase-size rover hopes to make the most of the 14-Earth-day lunar day. Sanjay Kumar, Science | AAAS, 7 Sep. 2019 This Saturday, as a tribute to Previn’s memory at the opening weekend of Tanglewood, the Boston Symphony will assay the concerto, with Mutter as soloist. New York Times, 29 June 2019 But interoperability—from ad-blocking to switching app stores—is a means by which customers can assay real counteroffers. The Economist, 6 June 2019 After giving the foragers a day to recover from their treatments, the researchers assayed pathogen loads across all of the ants in the colony. Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, 26 Nov. 2018 Noun
Consider each step of how your lab works to quickly develop a new diagnostic assay. Sylvain Gariel, Forbes, 15 Aug. 2022 To detect the changes in quality and quantity of P450-related metabolites, researchers successfully carried out an inhibition assay. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 In the study by Jochmans and collaborators, E166A and L167F individually provided low-level resistance (10- and 4-fold) in a biochemical assay, while the triple mutant L50F+E166A+L167F resulted in the highest levels of resistance (72-fold). William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 9 June 2022 The assay—which has been granted certification in Europe and is undergoing clinical validation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—comes as subvariants increasingly develop the ability to evade immunity, making antibody levels less relevant. Erin Prater, Fortune, 15 June 2022 CovidSHIELD is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, a highly sensitive molecular assay that involves amplifying genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, to a detectable level. Anthony Warmack, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2022 According to the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, one key characteristic of a hs-cTn assay is the ability to detect troponin in ≥50% of healthy individuals7. Christos Varounis, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2021 This assay should be able to be readily adapted to other pathogens. Judy Stone, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2022 Wright says that only a mouse assay or a pricey molecular analysis tool operated by the state can definitively confirm that shellfish are truly safe to eat. Karen Pinchin, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Anglo-French assai, essai — more at essay entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Phrases Containing assay
Medical Definition
assay 1 of 2
noun
as·say ˈas-ˌā a-ˈsā
a-ˈsā 1
: examination and determination as to characteristics (as weight, measure, or quality)
2
: analysis (as of a drug) to determine the presence, absence, or quantity of one or more components compare bioassay
3
: a substance to be assayed
also : the tabulated result of assaying
assay
2 of 2transitive verb
as·say a-ˈsā ˈas-ˌā
ˈas-ˌā : to analyze (an impure substance or mixture) for one or more specific components
the sample was assayed for drug content
assays 1 of 2
noun
1
as in analyses
the separation and identification of the parts of a whole a metallurgist did an assay on the metal and determined it contained nickel Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- analyses
- investigations
- inspections
- examinations
- assessments
- dissections
- evaluations
- breakdowns
- diagnoses
- deconstructions
- anatomies
- inventories
- classifications
- tabulations
- codifications
- assortments
- categorizations
- enumerations
- arrangements
- indexings
- subdivisions
- scrutinies
- reductions
- itemizations
- musters
- separations
- segmentations
- divisions
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- syntheses
- consolidations
- integrations
- aggregations
- assimilations
- amalgamations
- agglomerations
- conglomerations
- coalescences
- unifications
2
as in attempts
archaic an effort to do or accomplish something the poem about a frustrated man's last assay at greatness Synonyms & Similar Words
- attempts
- tries
- endeavors
- goes
- essays
- stabs
- trials
- bids
- shots
- offers
- passes
- flings
- undertakings
- bashes
- cracks
- strivings
- whirls
- struggles
- whacks
- throes
- trial and errors
assays
2 of 2verb
1
as in analyzes
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships the company assayed a sample of the rock to see if it contained gold in quantities worth mining Synonyms & Similar Words
- analyzes
- dissects
- assesses
- diagnoses
- examines
- investigates
- evaluates
- indexes
- breaks down
- deconstructs
- divides
- cuts
- anatomizes
- catalogs
- sorts
- diagrams
- segments
- schematizes
- inspects
- scrutinizes
- catalogues
- tabulates
- orders
- classifies
- codifies
- arranges
- categorizes
- subdivides
- enumerates
- separates
- reduces
- assorts
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- aggregates
- synthesizes
- integrates
- conglomerates
- consolidates
- unifies
- agglomerates
- assimilates
- amalgamates
- coalesces
2
as in tries
to make an effort to do assaying the task of writing his autobiography Synonyms & Similar Words
- attempts
- tries
- essays
- endeavors
- strives
- shoots at
- seeks
- shoots for
- works
- has a go at
- struggles
- strains
- fights
- hopes
- tries one's hand (at)
- toils
- troubles
- undertakes
- aims
- aspires
- assumes
- takes up
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- drops
- quits
- gives up