1. (

• assay ,
• check

) an appraisal of the state of affairs; "they made an assay of the contents"; "a check on its dependability under stress" ;

2. (

• assay

) a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components ;

3. (

• assay

) a written report of the results of an analysis of the composition of some substance ;

4. (

• assay

) a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc. ;

1. (

• assay

) analyze (chemical substances) ;

2. (

• try ,
• seek ,
• attempt ,
• essay ,
• assay

) make an effort or attempt; "He tried to shake off his fears"; "The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"; "The police attempted to stop the thief"; "He sought to improve himself"; "She always seeks to do good in the world" ;