assai

¹ American  

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

adverb

Music.

1. very.

   allegro assai (very quick).

---

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.

---

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

---

assai ² British  

/ æˈsaɪ /

adverb

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

   allegro assai

---

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

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

assai

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

From Life of Chopin by Martha Elizabeth Duncan Walker Cook

Eagerly she listened; and soon was rewarded by hearing Lyle's voice carolling pathetically down the road, the ditty, "Io ti voglio ben assai, Ma tu non pensi a me!"

From Olive A Novel by G. Bowers

He prefers her to Artemisia, for a reason rather quaintly expressed,— ——Anzi Tanto maggior, quanto è più assai beli' opra, Che por sotterra un uom, trarlo di sopra.

From The Romance of Biography (Vol 2 of 2) or Memoirs of Women Loved and Celebrated by Poets, from the Days of the Troubadours to the Present Age. 3rd ed. 2 Vols. by Mrs. (Anna) Jameson

The fruits of this sort are smaller than the true assai, but a drink is also made from them which some people consider more delicious than that either of the assai or patawa.

From The Forest Exiles The Perils of a Peruvian Family in the Wilds of the Amazon by Harrison Weir

"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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---