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Trial by sample; assay; sample; specimen; smack. [Obs.] if those principal works of God . . . be but certain tastes and saus, as if were, of that final benefit. Hooker. Thy tongue some say of breeding breathes. Shak.

One who says; an utterer. Mr. Curran was something much better than a sayer of smart sayings. Jeffrey.

A mixed stuff, called also sagathy. See Sagathy.

claration; a statement, especially a proverbial one; an aphorism; a proverb. Many are the sayings of the wise, In ancient and in modern books enrolled. Milton.

One who assays. [Obs.]

A master of assay; one who tries or proves. [Obs.] "Great saymaster of state." D. Jonson.

obs. p. p. of Senge, to singe. Chaucer.

To gainsay. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] Chaucer. I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance. Milton.

A small standard weight used in assaying bullion, etc., sometimes equaling 0.5 gram, but varying with the assayer.

A weight of 29.166 + grams used in assaying, for convenience. Since it bears the same relation to the milligram that a ton of 2000 avoirdupois pounds does to the troy ounce, the weight in milligrams of precious metal obtained from an assay ton of ore gives directly the number of ounces to the ton.

That may be assayed.

One who assays. Specifically: One who examines metallic ores or compounds, for the purpose of determining the amount of any particular metal in the same, especially of gold or silver.

The act or process of testing, esp. of analyzing or examining metals and ores, to determine the proportion of pure metal.

A great-grandfather. [Obs.]

A valuable kind of Peruvian bark obtained from the Cinchona Calisaya, and other closely related species.

tion of body or mind, for the performance of anything; a trial; attempt; as, to make an essay to benefit a friend. "The essay at organization." M. Arnold.

One who essays. Addison.

A writer of an essay, or of essays. B. Jonson.

To foretell. [Obs.] Her danger nigh that sudden change foresaid. Fairfax.