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 / verb

assault

uh-SAWLT/əˈsɔːlt/

A forceful attack or threat of violence.

The aggressor's assault sends the other adult stumbling backward.

An aggressor violently shoves another adult backward by the upper shoulders; the victim braces to stay upright, non-graphic and no injury detail, no weapons or celebratory tone.

Etymology

asLatinto, toward; addition; sometimes emphasis

+saultLatina leap

The pieces convey a leap toward someone: a forceful movement that became an image for attack. That image underlies the noun's meaning of a violent physical onslaught.

In context

Kings and Generals280:39

The order to commence the assault was now given. The French troops began marching at the double-quick in their assault column formation toward the enemy's defensive works.

War of the Spanish Succession: All Battles and Events - FULL DOCUMENTARY

More examples

The fortress endured a sustained assault.
The witness said the stranger assaulted him.
The speech launched an assault on the government's record.

Forms

assault · assaults · assaulted · assaulting

Similar words

attack: A broader hostile action, including nonviolent contexts.
battery: A legal term often specifically concerning unlawful physical contact.