assay

noun

1. Trial, attempt.

   “I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance.”

2. Examination and determination; test.

   “This cannot be, by no assay of reason.”

3. The qualitative or quantitative chemical analysis of something.
4. Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.

   “Through many hard assayes which did betide.”

5. Tested purity or value.

   “Purfled with gold and pearl of rich assay.”

6. 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.
7. The alloy or metal to be assayed.

verb

1. (transitive)To attempt (something).

   “To-night let us assay our plot.”

   “Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed.”

   “Who seest the stark array And hast not stayed to count But singly wilt assay The many-cannoned mount[…].”

   “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.”

2. (archaic, intransitive)To try, attempt (to do something).

   “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.”

3. (transitive)To analyze or estimate the composition or value of (a metal, ore etc.).
4. (obsolete, transitive)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”

   “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?”

5. To affect.

   “when the heart is ill assay'd”

6. To try tasting, as food or drink.