ad-

to, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

Forms

ad-
ac- — Used before c in Latin.
af- — Used before f in Latin.
ag- — Used before g in Latin.
al- — Used before l in Latin.
ap- — Used before p in Latin.
ar- — Used before r in Latin.
as- — Used before s in Latin.
at- — Used before t in Latin.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *ad, ‘to; near.’

Note

Later Latin-based spellings sometimes restored consonants that had disappeared in French.

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noun

assailant

uh-SAY-lunt/əˈseɪlənt/

A person who attacks someone violently.

The assailant lunges with a raised fist as the man shields his head.

An unarmed attacker lunges with a raised fist toward a man backing away and shielding his head; imminent assault without contact injuries, blood or weapons, plainly condemnatory.

Etymology

asLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+sailLatinjump or leap

+antFrenchdoing or being something

The underlying image is of leaping toward someone, which became a way to describe attacking violently. The participial ending identifies the person carrying out that attack.

In context

Storytime Haven131:12

By the fact that the man was attacked with an Italian stiletto, it would seem that his assailant was a fellow-countryman

The Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent Love 🕵️‍♂️💘 | William Le Queux Classic Spy Thriller

More examples

The assailant fled before help arrived.
Security footage showed two assailants.
The victim could not identify the masked assailant.

Forms

assailant · assailants

Similar words

attacker: The everyday equivalent, also used outside personal violence.
aggressor: Initiates conflict without necessarily committing a particular violent attack.