Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

as|sas|sin /əsæ s I n/ (assassins ) N‑COUNT An assassin is a person who assassinates someone. □  He saw the shooting and memorised the number of the assassin's car.

as|sas|si|nate /əsæ s I ne I t/ (assassinates , assassinating , assassinated ) VERB When someone important is assassinated , they are murdered as a political act. □ [be V -ed] Would the U.S.A. be radically different today if Kennedy had not been assassinated? □ [V n] The plot to assassinate Martin Luther King had started long before he was actually killed. ●  as|sas|si|na|tion /əsæ s I ne I ʃ ^ə n/ (assassinations ) N‑VAR [N n] □ [+ of ] She would like an investigation into the assassination of her husband. □  He lives in constant fear of assassination.

as|sault ◆◇◇ /əsɔː lt/ (assaults , assaulting , assaulted )

1 N‑COUNT An assault by an army is a strong attack made on an area held by the enemy. □ [+ on/upon/against ] The rebels are poised for a new assault on the government garrisons.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Assault weapons such as rifles are intended for soldiers to use in battle rather than for purposes such as hunting.

3 N‑VAR An assault on a person is a physical attack on them. □ [+ on/upon ] The attack is one of a series of savage sexual assaults on women in the university area. □  At the police station, I was charged with assault.

4 VERB To assault someone means to physically attack them. □ [V n] The gang assaulted him with iron bars. □ [be V -ed] She may have been sexually assaulted by her killer.

5 N‑COUNT An assault on someone's beliefs is a strong criticism of them. □ [+ on/upon/against ] He leveled a verbal assault against his Democratic opponents. COLLOCATIONS assault NOUN

1

noun + assault : air, ground

adjective + assault : aerial, frontal; full-scale, sustained

verb + assault : launch, mount, plan

3

adjective + assault : domestic, physical, sexual; indecent, serious, vicious, violent; alleged, common, unlawful

verb + assault : commit; investigate, report; admit, deny

5

adjective + assault : full-on, verbal, withering

verb + assault : launch

as|sau lt and ba t|tery N‑UNCOUNT Assault and battery is the crime of attacking someone and causing them physical harm. [LEGAL ]

as|sau lt course (assault courses ) N‑COUNT An assault course is an area of land covered with obstacles such as walls which people, especially soldiers, use to improve their skills and strength. [BRIT ] in AM, use obstacle course

as|say /æse I / (assays ) N‑COUNT An assay is a test of a substance to find out what chemicals it contains. It is usually carried out to find out how pure a substance is. [TECHNICAL ]

as|sem|blage /əse mbl I dʒ/ (assemblages ) N‑COUNT An assemblage of people or things is a collection of them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] He had an assemblage of old junk cars filling the backyard.

as|sem|ble /əse mb ^ə l/ (assembles , assembling , assembled )

1 VERB When people assemble or when someone assembles them, they come together in a group, usually for a particular purpose such as a meeting. □ [V ] There wasn't even a convenient place for students to assemble between classes. □ [V + in/at ] Thousands of people, mainly Zulus, assembled in a stadium in Thokoza. □ [V n] He has assembled a team of experts to handle queries.

2 VERB To assemble something means to collect it together or to fit the different parts of it together. □ [V n] Greenpeace managed to assemble enough boats to waylay the ship at sea.