assault

as|sault¹ W3 [əˈso:lt US əˈso:lt] n

[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: assaut, from Latin assaltus, past participle of assalire; ASSAIL]

1.) [U and C]

the crime of physically attacking someone

▪ a case of robbery and assault

for assault

▪ He was jailed for assault.

sexual/indecent assault

▪ victims of indecent assault

assault on/against

▪ sexual assaults on women

▪ Several soldiers have been charged with assault .

2.) [U and C]

a military attack to take control of a place controlled by the enemy

assault on

▪ an unsuccessful assault on the enemy lines

▪ The refugee camp came under assault again last night.

▪ a powerful assault rifle

3.) [U and C]

a strong spoken or written criticism of someone else's ideas, plans etc

= ↑attack assault on

▪ an assault on the capitalist system

under assault

▪ Traditional family values are increasingly under assault.

4.)

an attempt to achieve something difficult, especially using physical force

assault on

▪ an assault on Mt Everest (=an attempt to climb it)

assault ²

assault² v [T]

1.) to attack someone in a violent way

▪ Two men assaulted him after he left the bar.

sexually/indecently assault

▪ He was found guilty of indecently assaulting a student.

2.) literary if a feeling, sound, smell etc assaults you, it affects you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or upset

▪ The noises and smells of the market assaulted her senses.

3.) to strongly criticize someone's ideas, plans etc

4.) to try to do something very difficult

▪ a task force to assault the problems