assault

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A violent physical or verbal attack.
2. n. A military attack, such as one launched against a fortified area or place.
3. n. The concluding stage of an attack in which close combat occurs with the enemy.
4. n. Law An unlawful threat or attempt to do bodily injury to another.
5. n. Law The act or an instance of unlawfully threatening or attempting to injure another.
6. n. Law Sexual assault.
7. n. The crime of rape.
8. v. To make an assault upon; attack. See Synonyms at attack.
9. v. To rape.
10. v. To make an assault.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An attack or violent onset with physical means; an onslaught; especially, a sudden and vigorous attack on a fortified post.
2. n. Specifically In law, an unlawful attack upon the person of another; an attempt or offer to do violence to another, coupled with present ability to effect it, but irrespective of whether the person is touched or not, as by lifting the fist or a cane in a threatening manner. If the person is struck, the act is called assault and battery. In Scotland this distinction is not regarded. Assaults are variously punished.
3. n. An attack with other than physical force, as by means of legislative measures, by arguments, invective, appeals, etc.: as, an assault upon the constitution of government; an assault upon one's reputation.
4. To attack by physical means; fall upon with violence or with a hostile intention: as, to assault a man, a house, a town.
5. Specifically In law, to attempt or offer to do violence to another, with present ability to accomplish it. See assault, n., 2.
6. To attack with other than physical force; assail with arguments, complaints, hostile words, etc.
7. Synonyms Attack, Set upon, etc. (see assail); to storm. See attack.

Wiktionary

1. n. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.
2. n. A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.
3. n. criminal, law An attempt to commit battery: a violent attempt, or willful effort with force or violence, to do hurt to another, but without necessarily touching his person, as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at him and missing him.
4. n. singular only, law The crime whose action is such an attempt.
5. n. An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm.
6. n. singular only, law The tort whose action is such an act.
7. n. fencing A non-competitive combat between two fencers.
8. v. To attack, threaten or harass.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset.
2. n. A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like.
3. n. (Law) An apparently violent attempt, or willful offer with force or violence, to do hurt to another; an attempt or offer to beat another, accompanied by a degree of violence, but without touching his person, as by lifting the fist, or a cane, in a threatening manner, or by striking at him, and missing him. If the blow aimed takes effect, it is a battery.
4. v. To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical violence or menaces.
5. v. To attack with moral means, or with a view of producing moral effects; to attack by words, arguments, or unfriendly measures; to assail.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped
2. v. force (someone) to have sex against their will
3. n. thoroughbred that won the triple crown in 1946
4. v. attack someone physically or emotionally
5. v. attack in speech or writing
6. n. close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
7. n. the crime of forcing a woman to submit to sexual intercourse against her will