assault

assault
1 noun (C, U)
1 the crime of attacking someone: increases in violent assaults over the past decade | sexual assault: three years in prison for sexual assault
2 a military attack to take control of a place controlled by the enemy: the platoon's unsuccessful assault on the border positions
3 an attempt to achieve something difficult, especially using physical force
(+ on): an assault on Mt Everest (=an attempt to climb it)
4 assault on a strong spoken or written criticism of someone else's ideas, plans etc: the tobacco industry's recent assault on plans to ban cigarettes
2 verb (T)
1 to attack someone in a violent way: Policemen were assaulted by young demonstrators.
2 to strongly criticize someone's ideas, plans etc: The MP was assaulted with a barrage of abuse from angry strikers.
3 if a feeling assaults you, it affects you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or upset: The noise in the club assaulted our ears.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • assault — as·sault 1 /ə sȯlt/ n [Old French assaut, literally, attack, ultimately from Latin assultus, from assilire to leap (on), attack] 1: the crime or tort of threatening or attempting to inflict immediate offensive physical contact or bodily harm… …   Law dictionary

  • ASSAULT — ASSAULT, the infliction of any degree of violence on the body of another person, whether injury results or not. The biblical injunction, he may be given up to 40 lashes but not more (Deut. 25:3), which applies to flogging by way of punishment,… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Assault — As*sault , n. [OE. asaut, assaut, OF. assaut, asalt, F. assaut, LL. assaltus; L. ad + saltus a leaping, a springing, salire to leap. See {Assail}.] 1. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Assault — As*sault , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assaulted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Assaulting}.] [From {Assault}, n.: cf. OF. assaulter, LL. assaltare.] 1. To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • assault — n *attack, onslaught, onset Analogous words: assailing, bombarding or bombardment, storming or storm (see corresponding verbs at ATTACK): *invasion, incursion, raid assault vb storm, *attack, bombard, assail …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • assault — [n] attack advance, aggression, charge, incursion, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, rape, storm, storming, strike, violation; concept 86 assault [v] attack abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on* …   New thesaurus

  • assault — ► NOUN 1) a violent attack. 2) Law an act that threatens physical harm to a person. 3) a concentrated attempt to do something difficult. ► VERB ▪ make an assault on. DERIVATIVES assaultive adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • assault — [ə sôlt′] n. [ME assaut < OFr assaut, assalt < VL * assaltus < assalire: see ASSAIL] 1. a violent attack, either physical or verbal 2. euphemism for RAPE1 3. Law an unlawful threat or unsuccessful attempt to do physical harm to another,… …   English World dictionary

  • assault at — ● assault …   Useful english dictionary

  • Assault — This article is about the criminal act. For tortious aspects of assault, see Assault (tort). For other uses, see Assault (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

  • assault — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun 1 crime of attacking sb ADJECTIVE ▪ brutal, ferocious, savage, vicious, violent ▪ armed ▪ criminal …   Collocations dictionary

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