assailant

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a person who physically attacks another person

   The witness could not identify the masked assailant.

2. 2
   noun

   a person who forcefully attacks an argument, reputation, or position

   The senator answered each assailant of the proposal in turn.

3. 3
   adj

   attacking or making an assault; now rare

   The defenders drove the assailant troops back from the gate.

From Old French assaillant, the present participle of assaillir, 'to attack,' ultimately from Latin assilire, 'to leap upon.' The Latin verb combines ad- ('toward') with salire ('to jump'). English first used assailant adjectivally and then as a noun for one who attacks.

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