Forms: 3–4 asemle, 4 asemble, 5 assemle, -ele, -bill, -myll, 6 -bul, 4– assemble. See also aphet. SEMBLE v.1 [a. OF. a(s)semble-r, cogn. with Pr. assemblar, Sp. asemblar, It. assemblare, -brare:—L. ad-, assimulā-re, in its late sense of simul cogĕre, f. ad to + simul together.] Occas. strengthened by together.
1. trans. To bring together (persons) into one place or company; to gather, collect, convene.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3865. God [bad] semelen folc and gon, And foren hem smiten on ðe ston.
1297. R. Glouc., 360. And amorwe hem lete asemly [printed asely] wyþ mylde herte ynou.
a. 1330. Otuel, 72. Tho lette Garsie asemlen anon, Alle hise sarazins echon.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XI. 4577. To assemble on yche side soudiours ynogh.
1529. Rastell, Pastyme, Brit. (1811), 127. And semblyd an other hoste.
1699. Dryden, Knts. T., I. 456. Thou mayst … Assemble ours and all the Theban race.
1812. J. & H. Smith, Rej. Addr., xiii. (1873), 119. This tenth day of October Again assembles us in Drury Lane.
2. To bring together (things) into one place or mass, to collect; † formerly, to heap up, amass.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. vii. 80. Yif þou enforcest þe to assemble moneye.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 249/3. Whan thou assemblest peyne thou encreacest his glorye.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), N vij. They assemble by litel and littell diuers thynges.
1659. Leak, Water-works, 24. That the Sun shining upon the said Burning Glasses may assemble the raies of the Sun within the said Vessels.
a. 1790. Franklin, Autobiog. These proverbs … I assembled and formed into a connected discourse.
1855. Bain, Senses & Int., III. ii. § 23. We also assemble, into one recollection, many widely scattered periods of our past history.
† 3. To join together, unite (two things or persons, one thing to or with another). Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 186. By that cause the godhede Assembled was to the manhede In the virgine. Ibid., III. 107. Assembled with astronomy Is eke that ilke astrology.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, L viij b. Syth that god hath assembled them no man mortal ouȝt to separe them.
† b. To couple (sexually). Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 831. That thay be assemblid bycause that they ben maried.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 291. Two serpentes in his waie … Assembled were.
4. refl. in sense of next.
1302. Pol. Songs, 188. The webbes and the fullaris assembleden hem alle.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron. Þe barnage off Scotland, at þe last, Assemlyd þame.
1611. Bible, 1 Kings viii. 2. All the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., II. ii. 82. Crowds of people assemble themselves upon the banks.
5. intr. To come together into one place or company; to gather together, congregate, meet.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7410. His shepe to-gedir walde assemble samme.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1364. Þat alle þe grete vpon grounde schulde … assemble at a set day.
c. 1450. Merlin, i. 1. Thei assembleden to-gedir.
1538. Starkey, England, 52. Cytes and townys, wherto they myght assembul.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Justine, 79 b. All the women assembled into the Temple of Venus.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 663. Grey-headed men and grave, with Warriours mixt Assemble.
1791. Mrs. Inchbald, Simp. Story, IV. x. 132. A confusion of persons a[s]sembling towards the apartment.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 186. Driven from the towns, they assembled on heaths and mountains.
1860. Massey, Hist. Eng., III. xxv. 33. The Parliament assembled in November.
† 6. esp. To meet in fight; to join battle, make an attack or charge. (So in OFr.) Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3425. To hem of þe cite a sembled he þanne & fauȝt þan so ferscheli.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XV. 421. I sall assembill on hym … All thouch ȝhe hald him neuir sa stout.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 1083. To-giddir thar assemblit al the ost: At whois meting many o knycht was lost.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. xii. 112. Athir man assemblit face for face [L. seque viro vir contulit].
† 7. trans. To encounter, attack, assail. Obs. rare.
c. 1532. Ld. Berners, Huon, 613. Then they assembeled Brohart on all sydes.
