Assault

n.	1.	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. The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault. - Prescott. Unshaken bears the assault Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest. - Wordsworth.
	2.	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.	(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. Practically, however, the word assault is used to include the battery. - Mozley & W.
v. t.	1.	To make an assault upon, as by a sudden rush of armed men; to attack with unlawful or insulting physical violence or menaces. [imp. & p. p. Assaulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Assaulting.] Insnared, assaulted, overcome, led bound. - Milton.
	2.	To attack with moral means, or with a view of producing moral effects; to attack by words, arguments, or unfriendly measures; to assail; as, to assault a reputation or an administration. Before the gates, the cries of babes newborn, . . . Assault his ears. - Dryden.

Noun	1.	assault - close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
	2.	assault - a threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped
	3.	Assault - thoroughbred that won the triple crown in 1946
	4.	assault - the crime of forcing a woman to submit to sexual intercourse against her will Synonyms: ravishment, rape, violation
Verb	1.	assault - attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly" Synonyms: assail, set on, attack
	2.	assault - force (someone) to have sex against their will; "The woman was raped on her way home at night" Synonyms: rape, ravish, dishonor, dishonour, outrage, violate
	3.	assault - attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" Synonyms: lash out, attack, assail, snipe, round

ASSAULT, crim. law. An assault is any unlawful attempt or offer with force or violence to do a corporal hurt to another, whether from malice or wantonness; for example, by striking at him or even holding up the fist at him in a threatening or insulting manner, or with other circumstances as denote at the time. an intention, coupled with a present ability, of actual violence against his person, as by pointing a weapon at him when he is within reach of it. 6 Rogers Rec: 9. When the injury is actually inflicted, it amounts to a battery. (q.v.)
     2. Assaults are either simple or aggravated. 1. A simple assault is one Where there is no intention to do any other injury. This is punished at common law by fine and imprisonment. 2. An aggravated assault is one that has in addition to the bare intention to commit it, another object which is also criminal; for example, if a man should fire a pistol at another and miss him, the former would be guilty of an assault with intent to murder; so an assault with intent to rob a man, or with intent to spoil his clothes, and the like, are aggravated assaults, and they are more severely punished than simple assaults. General references, 1 East, P. C. 406; Bull. N. P. 15; Hawk. P. B. b. 1, c. 62, s. 12; 1 Russ. Cr. 604; 2 Camp. Rep. 650 1 Wheeler's Cr. C. 364; 6 Rogers' Rec. 9; 1 Serg. & Rawle, 347 Bac. Ab. h.t.; Roscoe. Cr. Ev. 210.

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