assai

¹ American  

[uh-sahy, ahs-sah-ee] / əˈsaɪ, ɑsˈsɑ i /

adverb

Music.

1. very.

   allegro assai (very quick).

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assai ² American  

[uh-sah-ee] / əˈsɑ i /

noun

1. any of several slender Brazilian palms of the genus Euterpe, especially E. edulis, a species bearing a purple fruit from which a beverage is made by infusion.

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assai ¹ British  

/ æˈsaɪ /

noun

1. any of several Brazilian palm trees of the genus Euterpe, esp E. edulis, that have small dark purple fleshy edible fruit

2. a beverage made from the fruit of this tree

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assai ² British  

/ æˈsaɪ /

adverb

1. music (usually preceded by a musical direction) very

   allegro assai

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Etymology

Origin of assai¹

First recorded in 1715–25; from Italian: literally, “enough,”ultimately from Latin ad “(up) to” + satis “enough.” See asset

Origin of assai²

1895–1900; < Portuguese < Tupi assaí

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assai

This introductory passage is marked, "Sostenuto assai," followed by the main movement marked, "Allegro ma non troppo."

From Memories of a Musical Life by William Mason

Like Tasso, he might say: Brama assai, poco spera, e nulla chiede.

From Life of Chopin by Martha Elizabeth Duncan Walker Cook

Selecting an "assai" palm of about nine inches diameter, across the creek, I took steady aim and fired four bullets.

From In the Amazon Jungle Adventures in Remote Parts of the Upper Amazon River, Including a Sojourn Among Cannibal Indians by Algot Lange

The tempo, marked in both editions, lento assai, is fast.

From Chopin : the Man and His Music by James Huneker

"Qui," says Torrotti, "si colgano elemosine assai," and, as I have said already, it is here that a few autumn leaves of waxen images still linger.

From Ex Voto by Samuel Butler

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