| 释义 |
as·sault
I. \əˈsȯlt\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English assaut, from Old French asaut, assaut, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin assaltus, from assaltus, past participle of assalire to assail — more at assail
1. : a violent attack with physical means (as blows or weapons): as
a. : a military charge or onslaught especially against a walled or defended position
b. : the phase of an attack in which the attacker moves forward and by means of close combat seeks to eliminate enemy resistance and establish control of the objective
c. : a part of an offensive action in which close firing develops or may be expected to develop
< an assault on beaches >
< assault troops >
< assault guns >
2. : a violent attack with nonphysical weapons (as words, arguments, or appeals)
< an assault upon science — W.L.Sullivan >
< an assault on his character >
3.
a. : an apparently violent attempt or a willful offer with force or violence to do hurt to another without the actual doing of the hurt threatened (as by lifting the fist or a cane in a threatening manner) — compare assault and battery, battery 2b
b. : rape : indecent attack or overture forcibly effected
4. : a bout with foils, broadswords, or similar weapons
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English assauten, from Middle French assauter, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin assaltare, from assaltus
transitive verb
1.
a. : to make an assault upon : rush violently and hostilely against : attack with strong violent onslaught
< the soldiers were assaulting the castle >
b. : to attack (a person) typically with brutal violence
< a policeman assaulted by the mob >
c. : to commit rape upon : subject to indecent attack
2. obsolete : tempt
3. : to attack violently by nonphysical means (as words, arguments, or unfriendly measures) : assail
< assault the Constitution — J.B.Oakes >
4. : to strike against violently
< we assault our eyes with colors unknown in the natural world — T.F.Hamlin >
: impinge upon
< an ounce of fact is assaulted by a ton of footnotes — L.Ruth Middlebrook >
intransitive verb
: to make an assault
< within 50 yards of their objective they assaulted — Mack Morriss >
Synonyms: see attack |