Trial by danger or by affliction; adventure; risk; hardship; state of being tried.
Tested purity or value.
The act or process of ascertaining the proportion of a particular metal in an ore or alloy; especially, the determination of the proportion of gold or silver in bullion or coin.
“Basing your answer upon the assay of the metal in question, please state whether or not the metal as received by you was a commercial grade of solder.”
“The Deer Park was his assay at greatness, and to hear it unfavorably compared to his failed second novel was not pleasant.”