The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Assaying \As*say"ing\, n.
   The act or process of testing, esp. of analyzing or examining
   metals and ores, to determine the proportion of pure metal.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Assay \As*say"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Assayed; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Assaying.] [OF. asaier, essaier, F. essayer, fr. essai. See
   Assay, n., Essay, v.]
   1. To try; to attempt; to apply. [Obs. or Archaic]
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            To-night let us assay our plot.       --Shak.
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            Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed.
                                                  --Milton.
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   2. To affect. [Obs.]
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            When the heart is ill assayed.        --Spenser.
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   3. To try tasting, as food or drink. [Obs.]
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   4. To subject, as an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound,
      to chemical or metallurgical examination, in order to
      determine the amount of a particular metal contained in
      it, or to ascertain its composition.
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