Weigh vs Assay - What's the difference?
weigh | assay | Related terms |
To determine the weight of an object.
Often with "out", to measure a certain amount of something by its weight, e.g. for sale.
(figuratively) To determine the intrinsic value or merit of an object, to evaluate.
(intransitive, figuratively, obsolete) To judge; to estimate.
* Spenser
To consider a subject. (rfex)
To have a certain weight.
To have weight; to be heavy; to press down.
* Cowper
* Shakespeare
To be considered as important; to have weight in the intellectual balance.
* Shakespeare
* John Locke
(nautical) To raise an anchor free of the seabed.
(nautical) To weigh anchor.
* 1624 , , Generall Historie , in Kupperman 1988, p. 91:
*1841 , (Edgar Allan Poe), ‘A Descent into the Maelström’:
*:‘Here we used to remain until nearly time for slack-water again, when we weighed and made for home.’
To bear up; to raise; to lift into the air; to swing up.
* Cowper
(obsolete) To consider as worthy of notice; to regard.
* Shakespeare
* Spenser
Trial, attempt, essay.
* Milton
Examination and determination; test.
* Shakespeare
The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
* Spenser
Tested purity or value.
* Spenser
The act or process of ascertaining the proportion of a particular metal in an ore or alloy; especially, the determination of the proportion of gold or silver in bullion or coin.
The alloy or metal to be assayed.
To attempt (something).
*Shakespeare
*:To-night let us assay our plot.
*Milton
*:Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed .
*1936 , (Alfred Edward Housman), More Poems ,
*:Who seest the stark array / And hast not stayed to count / But singly wilt assay / The many-cannoned mount.
*2011 , ‘All-pro, anti-American’, The Economist , 28 May:
*:Speaking before a small crowd beneath antique airplanes suspended in the atrium of the State of Iowa Historical Museum, an effortfully cheerful Mr Romney assayed an early version of a stump speech I imagine will become a staple of his campaign for the Republican nomination, once it "officially" begins some time next week in New Hampshire.
(archaic) To try, attempt ((to) do something).
*1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. Bible , Acts IX:
To analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.).
(obsolete) To test the abilities of (someone) in combat; to fight.
*:
*:I wold not by my wille that ony of vs were matched with hym / Nay said sir Gawayne not so / it were shame to vs were he not assayed were he neuer soo good a knyghte
*1977 , (Geoffrey Chaucer), (The Canterbury Tales) , Penguin Classics, p.351:
*:The marquis, in obsession for his wife, / Longed to expose her constancy to test. / He could not throw the thought away or rest, / Having a marvellous passion to assay' her; / Needless, God knows, to frighten and dismay her, / He had ' assayed her faith enough before / And ever found her good; what was the need / Of heaping trial on her, more and more?
To affect.
*Spenser
*:when the heart is ill assayed
To try tasting, as food or drink.
Weigh is a related term of assay.
As verbs the difference between weigh and assay
is that weigh is to determine the weight of an object while assay is to attempt (something).As a noun assay is
trial, attempt, essay.weigh
English
Verb
(en verb)- He weighed out two kilos of oranges for a client.
- You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
- could not weigh of worthiness aright
- I weigh ten and a half stone.
- They only weigh the heavier.
- Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff / Which weighs upon the heart.
- Your vows to her and me will even weigh .
- This objection ought to weigh with those whose reading is designed for much talk and little knowledge.
- Towards the evening we wayed , and approaching the shoare [...], we landed where there lay a many of baskets and much bloud, but saw not a Salvage.
- Weigh the vessel up.
- I weigh not you.
- all that she so dear did weigh
Derived terms
* weigh down * weigh in/weigh-in * weight * weighty * weigh up * weigh onassay
English
Noun
(wikipedia assay) (en noun)- I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance.
- This cannot be, by no assay of reason.
- Through many hard assays which did betide.
- With gold and pearl of rich assay .
- (Ure)
Verb
IV , The Sage to the Young Man, ll.5-8:
- When Saul cam to Jerusalem he assayde to cople hymsilfe with the apostles, and they wer all afrayde of hym and beleved not that he was a disciple.