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to examine or analyze:
to assay a situation; to assay an event.
Metallurgy. to analyze (an ore, alloy, etc.) in order to determine the quantity of gold, silver, or other metal in it.
Pharmacology. to subject (a drug) to an analysis for the determination of its potency or composition.
to judge the quality of; assess; evaluate:
to assay someone’s efforts.
to try or test; put to trial:
to assay one’s strength; to assay one’s debating abilities.
to attempt; try; essay:
to assay a dance step.
to contain, as shown by analysis, 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 analysis or trial.
a detailed report of the findings in assaying a substance.
Archaic. examination; trial; attempt; essay.
Historical Examples

Guffaws suddenly rose from the little crowd by the assayer’s sign.
Rimrock Trail J. Allan Dunn

Wouldn’t it be wiser to tell the assayer and get him to help?
Tabitha’s Vacation Ruth Alberta Brown

“It’s from the assayer; I left word at the settlement for the message to be sent on,” he explained.
For the Allinson Honor Harold Bindloss

One of these days we shall have to appoint an assayer of consciences at the Mint.
Napoleon the Little Victor Hugo

The assayer, bewildered at Sandy’s assumption of friendship, waved his hand deprecatingly.
Rimrock Trail J. Allan Dunn

Sandy introduced Sam as his partner, Westlake as a mining engineer and assayer.
Rimrock Trail J. Allan Dunn

And on other grounds the determination of a specific gravity is one of the operations with which an assayer should be familiar.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines. Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer

The assayer of Provinces spent most of his time trout-fishing.
Safar Nameh, Persian Pictures Gertrude Bell

Tom had returned before this with reports from the assayer and copies of the filing of the claims.
Ruth Fielding In the Saddle Alice B. Emerson

“We might try little Aleck Smith, the teamster,” said the assayer, thoughtfully.
The Trail of The Badger Sidford F. Hamp

verb (əˈseɪ)
to subject (a substance, such as silver or gold) to chemical analysis, 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, analyse, or evaluate: to assay the significance of early childhood experience
noun (əˈseɪ; ˈæseɪ)

an analysis, esp a determination of the amount of metal in an ore or the amounts of impurities in a precious metal
(as modifier): an assay office

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

c.1300, “to try, endeavor, strive; test the quality of,” from Anglo-French assaier, from assai (n.), from Old French essai “trial” (see essay).
n.

“trial, test of quality, test of character,” mid-14c., from Anglo-French assai (see assay (v.)). Meaning “analysis” is from late 14c.

assay as·say (ās’ā’, ā-sā’)
n.

Qualitative or quantitative analysis of a substance, especially of an ore or a drug, to determine its components.

A substance to be so analyzed.

The result of such an analysis.

An analysis or examination.

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

To subject a substance to chemical analysis.

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

To evaluate a situation; assess.

To attempt; try.

To be shown by analysis to contain a certain proportion of atoms, molecules, compounds, or precious metal.

assay
(ās’ā, ə-sā’)

A quantitative determination of the amount of a given substance in a particular sample. Assays 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 bioassay.