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to examine or -n-lyze:
to -ssay a situation; to -ssay an event.
metallurgy. to -n-lyze (an ore, alloy, etc.) in order to determine the quant-ty of gold, silver, or other metal in it.
pharmacology. to subject (a drug) to an -n-lysis for the determination of its potency or composition.
to judge the quality of; -ssess; evaluate:
to -ssay someone’s efforts.
to try or test; put to trial:
to -ssay one’s strength; to -ssay one’s debating abilities.
to attempt; try; essay:
to -ssay a dance step.
to contain, as shown by -n-lysis, a certain proportion of usually precious metal.
metallurgy. determination of the amount of metal, especially gold or silver, in an ore, alloy, etc.
a substance undergoing -n-lysis or trial.
a detailed report of the findings in -ssaying a substance.
archaic. examination; trial; attempt; essay.
historical examples

in this place i ought not to omit mention of another method of -ssaying employed by some -ssayers.
de re metallica georgius agricola

i -ssisted in the -ssaying department for a short time in 1867.
some reminiscences of old victoria edgar fawcett

in truth, however, there are books on -ssaying four centuries younger that are worse.
de re metallica georgius agricola

the science room and laboratory were used for chemistry and -ssaying.
mcgill and its story, 1821-1921 cyrus macmillan

docimasy, dos′i-ma-si, n. the art by which the nature and proportions of an ore are determined: -ssaying: examination of poisons.
chambers’s twentieth century dictionary (part 1 of 4: a-d) various

i could be more certain of helping you when it comes to -ssaying or developing a mine.
rimrock trail j. allan dunn

at present i’m doing some of the -ssaying, and have charge of the sluice-gang.
sisters kathleen norris

on such a system of -ssaying as that, the humboldt world had gone crazy.
roughing it mark twain (samuel clemens)

cupel, kū′pel, n. a small vessel used by goldsmiths in -ssaying precious metals.
chambers’s twentieth century dictionary (part 1 of 4: a-d) various

they are exceedingly useful in -ssaying, as they resist the action of fused oxide of lead much better than most clay crucibles.
cooley’s cyclopdia of practical receipts and collateral information in the arts, manufactures, professions, and trades…, sixth edition, volume i arnold cooley

verb (əˈseɪ)
to subject (a substance, such as silver or gold) to chemical -n-lysis, as in the determination of the amount of impurity
(transitive) to attempt (something or to do something)
(transitive; may take a clause as object) to test, -n-lyse, or evaluate: to -ssay the significance of early childhood experience
noun (əˈseɪ; ˈæseɪ)

an -n-lysis, esp a determination of the amount of metal in an ore or the amounts of impurities in a precious metal
(as modifier): an -ssay office

a substance undergoing an -n-lysis
a written report on the results of an -n-lysis
a test
(archaic) an attempt
v.

c.1300, “to try, endeavor, strive; test the quality of,” from anglo-french -ssaier, from -ssai (n.), from old french essai “trial” (see essay).
n.

“trial, test of quality, test of character,” mid-14c., from anglo-french -ssai (see -ssay (v.)). meaning “-n-lysis” is from late 14c.

-ssay as·say (ās’ā’, ā-sā’)
n.

qualitative or quant-tative -n-lysis of a substance, especially of an ore or a drug, to determine its components.

a substance to be so -n-lyzed.

the result of such an -n-lysis.

an -n-lysis or examination.

v. as·sayed, as·say·ing, as·says (ā-sā’, ās’ā’)

to subject a substance to chemical -n-lysis.

to examine a person’s capability by trial or experiment; put to a test.

to evaluate a situation; -ssess.

to attempt; try.

to be shown by -n-lysis to contain a certain proportion of atoms, molecules, compounds, or precious metal.

-ssay
(ās’ā, ə-sā’)

a quant-tative determination of the amount of a given substance in a particular sample. -ssays are regularly used to determine the purity of precious metals. they can be performed by wet methods or dry methods. in the wet method, the sample is dissolved in a reagent, like an acid, until the purified metal is separated out. in the dry method, the sample is mixed with a flux (a substance such as borax or silica that helps lower the melting temperature) and then heated to the point where impurities in the metal fuse with the flux, leaving the purified metal as a residue.

a bio-ssay.