Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 N‑PLURAL The assets of a company or a person are all the things that they own. [BUSINESS ] □ [+ of ] By the end of 1989 the group had assets of 3.5 billion francs. COLLOCATIONS asset NOUN

1

adjective + asset : important, key, prize, valuable; natural

2

noun + assets : liquid, property, state

adjective + assets : financial, fixed, net, total; risky

verb + assets : acquire, buy, sell, transfer; freeze, seize; manage, protect SYNONYMS asset NOUN 1

benefit:I'm a great believer in the benefits of this form of therapy.

advantage:A good crowd will be a definite advantage to the team.

blessing:Rivers are a blessing for an agricultural country.

a sset-stripping N‑UNCOUNT If a person or company is involved in asset-stripping , they buy companies cheaply, sell off their assets to make a profit, and then close the companies down. [BUSINESS , DISAPPROVAL ]

ass|hole /æ shoʊl/ (assholes ) N‑COUNT If one person calls another person an asshole , they think that person is extremely stupid or has behaved in a stupid way. [AM , RUDE , DISAPPROVAL ] in BRIT, use arsehole

as|sidu|ous /əs I dʒuəs/ ADJ Someone who is assiduous works hard or does things very thoroughly. □  Podulski had been assiduous in learning his adopted language.

as|sign /əsa I n/ (assigns , assigning , assigned )

1 VERB If you assign a piece of work to someone, you give them the work to do. □ [V n + to ] When I taught, I would assign a topic to children which they would write about. □ [V n n] Later in the year, she'll assign them research papers. □ [V n] When teachers assign homework, students usually feel an obligation to do it. [Also V n to-inf]

2 VERB If you assign something to someone, you say that it is for their use. □ [V n + to ] The selling broker is then required to assign a portion of the commission to the buyer broker. □ [V n n] He assigned her all his land in Ireland.

3 VERB [usu passive] If someone is assigned to a particular place, group, or person, they are sent there, usually in order to work at that place or for that person. □ [be V -ed + to ] I was assigned to Troop A of the 10th Cavalry. □ [be V -ed adv] Did you choose Russia or were you simply assigned there? □ [be V -ed n] Each of us was assigned a minder, someone who looked after us.

4 VERB If you assign a particular function or value to someone or something, you say they have it. □ [V n + to ] Under Mr. Harel's system, each business must assign a value to each job. □ [V n n] Assign the letters of the alphabet their numerical values–A equals 1, B equals 2, etc.

as|sig|na|tion /æ s I gne I ʃ ^ə n/ (assignations ) N‑COUNT An assignation is a secret meeting with someone, especially with a lover. [FORMAL ] □ [+ with ] She had an assignation with her boyfriend.

as|sign|ment /əsa I nmənt/ (assignments )

1 N‑COUNT An assignment is a task or piece of work that you are given to do, especially as part of your job or studies. □  The assessment for the course involves written assignments and practical tests.

2 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to someone being given a particular task or job as their assignment to the task or job. □ [+ to ] The Australian division was scheduled for assignment to Greece.

as|simi|late /əs I m I le I t/ (assimilates , assimilating , assimilated )