assault

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To attack someone violently.

   The man was charged with assaulting a police officer.

2. 2
   noun

   A violent physical attack on someone.

   He was the victim of a brutal assault.

3. 3
   noun

   A strong military attack on a place.

   The army launched an assault on the enemy base.

4. 4
   verb

   To strongly criticize someone or something in words.

   The newspaper assaulted the company over its pollution record.

From Middle English assaut, from Old French noun assaut, derived from the past participle of the verb assalir, from Late Latin assalīre, from Latin ad (“at, towards”) + salīre (“jump”). See also assail. Spelling Latinized around 1530 to add an l.

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