assaulter

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

as•sault /əˈsɔlt/   n. 

1. a sudden violent attack;
   onslaught:
   [countable] launched an assault on the enemy stronghold.
2. Law Law. an unlawful physical attack upon another, esp. an attempt or threat to do bodily harm:
   [countable] Several assaults with deadly weapons.
   [uncountable] convicted of assault.
3. Law [countable] rape¹ (defs. 1, 2).

v. [~ + object]

4. to make an assault upon:
   The marines assaulted the hilltop.
5. to attack unlawfully;
   attempt to do bodily harm to another:
   They assaulted the police officers.
6. Law rape¹ (def. 6).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

as•sault  (ə sôlt′), n. 

1. a sudden, violent attack;
   onslaught:
   an assault on tradition.
2. Law an unlawful physical attack upon another;
   an attempt or offer to do violence to another, with or without battery, as by holding a stone or club in a threatening manner.
3. Military the stage of close combat in an attack.
4. rape¹.

v.t. 

5. to make an assault upon;
   attack;
   assail.

• Medieval Latin assaltus (replacing Latin assultus), equivalent. to Latin as- as- + saltus a leap (sal(īre) to leap + -tus suffix of verb, verbal action)
• Old French
• Middle English asaut 1200–50

as•sault′a•ble, adj. 
as•sault′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. onset, charge; invasion, aggression.
• 5. See attack.