assault

assault
\ \ [13] To assault somebody was originally to ‘jump on’ them. The word comes from a Vulgar Latin compound verb *assaltāre, formed from the prefix ad- ‘to’ and saltārejump’, a frequentative form (denoting repeated action) of the verb salīrejump’ (which is the source of English salient, and by a similar compounding process produced assail [13]). In Old French this became asauter, and English originally borrowed it as asaute, but in the 16th century the l was reintroduced.
\ \ Cf.ASSAIL, SOMERSAULT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • assault — as·sault 1 /ə sȯlt/ n [Old French assaut, literally, attack, ultimately from Latin assultus, from assilire to leap (on), attack] 1: the crime or tort of threatening or attempting to inflict immediate offensive physical contact or bodily harm… …   Law dictionary

  • ASSAULT — ASSAULT, the infliction of any degree of violence on the body of another person, whether injury results or not. The biblical injunction, he may be given up to 40 lashes but not more (Deut. 25:3), which applies to flogging by way of punishment,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Assault — As*sault , n. [OE. asaut, assaut, OF. assaut, asalt, F. assaut, LL. assaltus; L. ad + saltus a leaping, a springing, salire to leap. See {Assail}.] 1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Assault — As*sault , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assaulted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Assaulting}.] [From {Assault}, n.: cf. OF. assaulter, LL. assaltare.] 1. To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • assault — n *attack, onslaught, onset Analogous words: assailing, bombarding or bombardment, storming or storm (see corresponding verbs at ATTACK): *invasion, incursion, raid assault vb storm, *attack, bombard, assail …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • assault — [n] attack advance, aggression, charge, incursion, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, rape, storm, storming, strike, violation; concept 86 assault [v] attack abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on* …   New thesaurus

  • assault — ► NOUN 1) a violent attack. 2) Law an act that threatens physical harm to a person. 3) a concentrated attempt to do something difficult. ► VERB ▪ make an assault on. DERIVATIVES assaultive adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • assault — [ə sôlt′] n. [ME assaut < OFr assaut, assalt < VL * assaltus < assalire: see ASSAIL] 1. a violent attack, either physical or verbal 2. euphemism for RAPE1 3. Law an unlawful threat or unsuccessful attempt to do physical harm to another,… …   English World dictionary

  • assault at — ● assault …   Useful english dictionary

  • Assault — This article is about the criminal act. For tortious aspects of assault, see Assault (tort). For other uses, see Assault (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • assault — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 crime of attacking sb ADJECTIVE ▪ brutal, ferocious, savage, vicious, violent ▪ armed ▪ criminal …   Collocations dictionary

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