Forms: 3 asailȝe, asale, 3–4 asayle, 3–5 asaile, 4 a-sayle, a-saile, 4–5 assaille, -aylle, -ale, 4–7 assaile, -ayle, 5 asaylle, asayl, 6– assail; (Sc. 4–5 assalȝe, 4–6 assailȝe, -ȝie). Aphet. 4 saile, 4–5 sayle. [a. OFr. asalir, asaillir (mod. assaillir):—late pop. L. adsalīre (in Salic Law), f. ad to, at + salīre to leap, spring, an analytical form substituted for its cl. L. equivalent ad-, as-silīre. In 14–15th c. often aphetized to sail(e; in the full form refashioned with ass-, in Fr. and Eng., in 15th c. Certain uses seem to have been influenced by contact with the vb. ASSAY ‘to try, tempt’: see senses 9–13 below.] To leap upon or at, esp. with hostile intent; hence in most of its senses exactly synonymous with attack.
† 1. lit. To leap upon, ‘mount.’ (So F. assaillir.)
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. III. 179. He hadde mynde of þe mare þat he had assailed [equæ suppositæ].
2. To make a violent hostile attack upon by physical means, to assault (a person, stronghold, etc.).
a. 1230. Ancr. R., 62. Hwile þat me mit quarreaus wiðuten asaileð þene castel.
1297. R. Glouc., 394. Hii bygonne … þen toun asaly.
a. 1300. Havelok, 1861. Þe laddes … Him asayleden wit grete dintes.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 1435. Than came Saddok prykande The dewke Segwyn saylande.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 151. Wes nane … That durst assailȝe him mar in fycht.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xii. 359. That ȝate asailled ne myhte not ben.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. ii. 17. Gif thai assailȝeit wer … be hard fortoun of weyr.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1165. No worthy match For valour to assail.
1713. Steele, Englishm., No. 12. 77. It is for the Vulgar to assail one another like brute Beasts.
1876. Green, Short Hist., i. § 2. 15. This district was assailed at once from the north and from the south.
3. To attack (institutions, customs, opinions, etc.) with hostile action or influence.
1564. Bauldwin, Mor. Phil. (Palfr.), vii. § 2. They that be evill … beare … armour offensive to assayle the good manners of others.
1634. Milton, Comus, 589. Virtue may be assail’d, but never hurt.
1844. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xvii. (1862), 252. Choosing to assail the religion of the people before he had destroyed their liberty.
4. To attack with hostile, opprobrious or bitter words; to speak or write directly against.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., I. i. 65. Here in the Parliament Let vs assayle the Family of Yorke.
a. 1744. Pope, On Duke of Buckhm’s. Verses, 3 Let crowds of Critics now my verse assail.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. II. vii. 222. Assailing the fallen minister with libels and caricatures.
5. To attack with reasoning or argument; to address with the object of prevailing upon, persuading, convincing or controverting.
c. 1440. Morte Arth. (Roxb.), 86. The kynge the messyngere thus dyd assayle: ‘It were pite to sette warre vs bytwene.’
1602. Shaks., Ham., I. i. 31. Let vs once againe assaile your eares That are so fortified against our story.
1695. Blackmore, Pr. Arth., I. 43. Nor did his Arts in vain weak man assail.
1791. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), III. 232. They would assail us on the subject of the treaty.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Manch. Strike, x. 114. She assailed her husband on the subject of taking work.
6. To approach (anything arduous or difficult) with the intention of mastering it.
a. 1680. Butler, Rem. (1759), V. 3. The lofty Tube, the Scale With which they Heav’n itself assail, Was mounted full against the Moon.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 508. The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 25. 182. Assailing the rocks at their base, and climbing them to the cabin.
7. Of things: To come roughly against, so as to batter, injure or hurt; to dash against, encounter.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 417. And [Chaos] with rebounding surge the barrs assaild, That scorn’d his indignation.
a. 1800. Cowper, Watching with God, ii. No rude noise mine ears assailing.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 3. 31. We were assailed by a violent hailstorm.
8. fig. Of states physical, emotional or mental: To come upon with tendency to master or overcome; to invade, attack.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 2330. When þe ded assaylles a man.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. II. 96. Til slepe hem assaille.
c. 1430. Syr Generides, 1694. Ther had he rest but small, So loue assaled him ouerall.
1595. Shaks., John, V. vii. 9. That fell poison which assayleth him.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, III. 895 (R.).
| New Pangs of mortal Fear our Minds assail, | |
| We tug at ev’ry Oar, and hoist at ev’ry Sail. |
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., I. 136. Compassion first assailed her gentle heart.
1837. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm., I. xix. 291. When doubt and unbelief assail us.
† 9. To attack with temptations; to tempt, try.
c. 1220. Hali Meid., 47. Þu ne schalt beon icrunet bute þu beo asailȝet.
1340. Ayenb., 249. He [the devil] asaylede þane uerste man be þe mouþe.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, F iij b. Grete and euylle temptacions shall befight and assaylle yow.
a. 1564. Becon, New Catech., Wks. (1844), 190. But doth God assail sinners only with this temptation of adversity?
† 10. To address with offers of love, to woo. Obs.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xli. Beauteous thou art, therefore to be assail’d. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., I. iii. 60. Accost, is, front her, boord her, woe her, assayle her. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., II. iii. 44. I haue assayl’d her with Musickes.
11. absol. quasi-intr. in prec. senses. (With quot. 1440 cf. OF. ‘pour assaillir aux trois portes.’ Littré.)
1297. R. Glouc., 395. As noble men, hii asaylede euere vaste.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 31. Gif thai assalȝe, we mon defend.
c. 1440. Partonope, 6579. Thre to hym sayled of the rowte And held on his helme.
1594. Shaks., Lucr., 63. When shame assail’d, the red should fence the white.
1779. J. Newton, Olney Hymns, vii. Though troubles assail, and dangers affright.
† 12. To make trial of, venture on, ASSAY. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 247. The souldan hath the feld assailed.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 1075. Ther was non so hardy That durst asayl the cry.
1595. Markham, Sir R. Grinuile, xcviii. None darring to assayle a second fight.
† 13. intr. a. with inf. To attempt, endeavor, ASSAY. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 45. With nigromaunce he wolde assaile To make his incantacion.
1592. trans. Junius’ Comm. Rev. xx. 1. Satan assayled to invade the Christian Church.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Justine, 122 b. Hee assailed to steale home into his kingdome.
† b. with subord. cl. To try, put to the test. Obs.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scotl. (1821), I. 20. Delite ye ony further to assailye, gif ony band may be kepit with unfaithful pepill?
