a sudden, violent attack; onslaught: an assault on tradition.
Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner.
1200–50;Middle Englishasaut < Old French < Medieval Latinassaltus (replacing Latinassultus), equivalent to Latinas-as- + saltus a leap (sal(īre) to leap + -tus suffix of v. action)
Related formsas·sault·a·ble, adjectiveas·sault·er, nouncoun·ter·as·sault, verb (used with object), nounnon·as·sault, nounun·as·sault·a·ble, adjectiveun·as·sault·ed, adjectiveCan be confusedassaultbattery
lawan intentional or reckless act that causes another person to expect to be subjected to immediate and unlawful violenceCompare battery (def. 4), assault and battery
the culmination of a military attack, in which fighting takes place at close quarters
(as modifier)assault troops
rape or attempted rape
verb(tr)
to make an assault upon
to rape or attempt to rape
Derived Formsassaulter, nounassaultive, adjective
Word Origin for assault
C13: from Old French asaut, from Vulgar Latin assaltus (unattested), from assalīre (unattested) to leap upon; see assail
late 14c., earlier asaut (c.1200), from Old French asaut, assaut "an attack, an assault, attacking forces" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *adsaltus "attack, assault," from ad "to" (see ad-) + Latin saltus "a leap," from salire "to leap, spring" (see assail). In law by 1580s; historically, assault includes menacing words or actions; battery is an actual blow.
v.
early 15c., from Middle French asauter, assauter, from Vulgar Latin *assaltare (see assault (n.)). Related: Assaulted; assaulting.
