Forms: 3 asaȝt, 3–7 asaut, assaut, 4 asauȝt, 4–6 asaute, asawt(e, assalt, 5 a sawt(e, a-saute, 5–6 assaute, -awte, 6 a saute, a saulte, 5– assault. [a. OF. asaut (later assaut), cf. Pr. assalt, It. assalto, Sp. asalto:—late pop. L. *adsaltus, f. the simple saltus leap, which took the place of its L. equivalent ad-, assultus, deriv. of adsilīre, when the latter gave place to the analytical ad-salīre: see ASSAIL. The original asaut was altered (with an eye to the Latin), c. 1530, to assault. Already in 13th c. aphetized to saut, whence in 16th c. SAULT q.v.]
1. gen. An onset or rush upon any one with hostile intent; an attack with blows or weapons.
1297. R. Glouc., 380. Vor trauayl of þe foul asaȝt.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 74. Thou schalt gif the first asaut Opon the Almaundes.
1382. Wyclif, Acts xix. 29. Thei maden a sawt … in to the teatre.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XXVI. 10271. A folke þat was fell, fuerse of assaute.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., IV. i. 24. In which assault, we lost twelue hundred men.
1611. Bible, 1 Macc. iv. 8. Neither be ye afraid of their assault.
1877. Lytteil, Landmarks, III. i. 101. To guard the shores of Gaul against the assaults of these northern buccaneers.
b. spec. Assault (of or at arms): an attack made upon each other by two fencers, etc., as an exercise or trial of skill; and, in a wider sense (after F. assaut d’armes), a display of hand-to-hand military exercises.
1694. Sir W. Hope, Swordman’s Vade M., 68. He should take his Lessons and Assault in his Cloaths and walking Shoes.
1771. J. Olivier, Fencing, 141. An assault is the resemblance of a single fight with swords, where you perform … all the thrusts and all the parades that you learned by lessons.
1851. Handbill, 27 Jan. Assault of Arms … at the Swan Hotel, Hastings.
1884. Daily News, 26 May, 5/6. Military Assault-at-Arms in aid of Charity, Kensington Town Hall.
2. The sudden rush or charge of an attacking force against the walls of a city or fortress; a storm; esp. in the phrases To make or give assault, to win, gain, take, or carry by assault.
1297. R. Glouc., 409. Hii sette Roberd Courtehose … in þe Est syde, þe asaut vor to do.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 474. The assalt haf thai levit all.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., V. (1520), 45 b/2. The kynges men gave a greate assaute unto the castell.
1530. Palsgr., 619/1. I make a saulte to a towne.
c. 1532. Ld. Berners, Huon, 519. They went to the castell of Iaffet and toke it with assaulte.
1685. Lond. Gaz., 24 Aug., 1/2. The Enemy gave several Assaults to the Outworks.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 180. He took Goa by assault.
3. An unlawful attack upon the person of another. (In Law a menacing word or action is sufficient to constitute an assault, the term battery being techn. added when an actual blow is inflicted.)
1447–8. Shillingford, Lett. (1871), 90. Affrayes assautes and other riotous mysgovernaunce.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., II. iii. (1588), 135. An Assault … can not be performed, without the offer of some hurtfull blow, or at the least of some fearefull speach.
1590. Greene, Arcadia (1616), 47. Without either assault or any such batterie.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 120. If one lifts up his cane, or his fist, in a threatning manner at another; or strikes at him, but misses him; this is an assault.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. iii. 296. A soldier therefore by knocking down his colonel, incurred only the ordinary penalties of assault and battery.
4. An attack upon institutions, opinions or customs; an endeavor to overthrow them by argument or by hostile measures.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xiii. 71. For that he knowith me admytte and allowe the writingis … he makith aȝens me this assaut.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1807), I. 103 (J.). After some unquietness of the people, and unhappy assaults upon the prerogative by the Parliament.
c. 1698. Locke, Cond. Underst. (1741), 67 (J.). Theories built upon narrow Foundations … are at least very hardly to be supported against the Assaults of Opposition.
1841. Myers, Cath. Th., IV. § 22. 291. The assaults which are made upon them by natural and scholastic scepticism.
5. transf. and fig. Hostile approach, attack, onset.
1508. Fisher, Wks. (1876), 277. Abidynge the sharpe assautes of deth.
1814. Wordsw., Excurs., V. 689. Unshaken bears the assault Of their most dreaded foe, the strong south-west.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xx. 245. In the polar zone the assault [of the climate] is immediate and sudden.
6. esp. An attack by spiritual enemies; a temptation to evil. (The earliest use in Eng.)
a. 1230. Ancr. R., 196. Þer þes deofles assauz beoð ofte strengest.
1486. Caxton, Curial, 8. Thassaultes of whyche I am enuyronned.
1671. Milton, Samson, 845. Hear what assaults I had, what snares besides, What sieges girt me round.
1877. Sparrow, Serm., iii. 32. The enemy makes there his subtlest and strongest assault … and thus the man fails.
† 7. A love-proposal, a wooing. Obs.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. iii. 120. Inuincible against all assaults of affection. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., I. vi. 150. The King my Father shall be made acquainted Of thy Assault.
