n. [ OE. asse, AS. assa; akin to Icel. asni, W. asen, asyn, L. asinus, dim. aselus, Gr. &unr_;; also to AS. esol, OHG. esil, G. esel, Goth. asilus, Dan. æsel, Lith. asilas, Bohem. osel, Pol. osiel. The word is prob. of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. ath&unr_;n she ass. Cf. Ease. ] 1. (Zool.) A quadruped of the genus Equus (Equus asinus), smaller than the horse, and having a peculiarly harsh bray and long ears. The tame or domestic ass is patient, slow, and sure-footed, and has become the type of obstinacy and stupidity. There are several species of wild asses which are swift-footed. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A dull, heavy, stupid fellow; a dolt. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asses' Bridge. [ L. pons asinorum. ] The fifth proposition of the first book of Euclid, “The angles at the base of an isosceles triangle are equal to one another.” [ Sportive ] “A schoolboy, stammering out his Asses' Bridge.” F. Harrison. --
To make an ass of one's self, to do or say something very foolish or absurd. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Asafetida. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ It., fr. L. ad + satis enough. See Assets. ] (Mus.) A direction equivalent to very; as, adagio assai, very slow. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Assailed p. pr. & vb. n. Assailing. ] [ OE. assailen, asailen, OF. asaillir, assailler, F. assaillir; a (L. ad) + saillir to burst out, project, fr. L. salire to leap, spring; cf. L. assilire to leap or spring upon. See Sally. ] 1. To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery. [ 1913 Webster ]

No rude noise mine ears assailing. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

No storm can now assail
The charm he wears within. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The thorny wilds the woodmen fierce assail. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The papal authority . . . assailed. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

They assailed him with keen invective; they assailed him with still keener irony. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To attack; assault; invade; encounter; fall upon. See Attack. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being assailed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. assaillant. ] One who, or that which, assails, attacks, or assaults; an assailer. [ 1913 Webster ]

An assailant of the church. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. assaillant, p. pr. of assaillir. ] Assailing; attacking. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who assails. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or power of assailing; attack; assault. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His most frequent assailment was the headache. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. assare to roast + amarus, bitter. ] (Chem.) The peculiar bitter substance, soft or liquid, and of a yellow color, produced when meat, bread, gum, sugar, starch, and the like, are roasted till they turn brown. [ 1913 Webster ]