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Glite Dictionary
assayer

assayer

1 9.8
A person who tests metals to see how pure they are and what other metals are in them
  • noun
  • /əˈseɪər/
  • Specialized
: ensayador
  • Tons! The assayer nodded after one close look at the first specimen. Good at five.
  • the assayer's office

Examples

  • But by the time the bank's assayer had examined the gold for purity, and both parties had agreed on a price, more than two hours had passed.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Any way you could get close to a mine official or an assayer?

    Fiction book (1992)

  • So, I'll get the assayer's report and that will prove it.

    The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)

  • A day or so later in the Recorder's office, Big Jim tried to convince the assayers that he had a mountain of gold.

    The Gold Rush (1925)

  • The assayer tested the samples to determine the gold content in the ore.

  • As an experienced assayer, she was known for accurately assessing the purity of metals.

  • After reviewing the assayer's analysis, the mining company decided to proceed with the extraction.

Synonyms

metallurgist
vsassayer
  • Specialized
3 8.8

A person who studies and works with metals like iron and steel to make them useful

focuses on analyzing and testing metal quality and composition

How Skilled

expert
165 3.5
assayer
  • Specialized
1 9.8
technician
  • Specialized
178 3.7
trainee
50 2.4

Surface Forms

assayer singular
assayers plural

Morphology

assayer = assay (transparent) = assay + er

Standard agentive formation: 'assayer' is 'assay' + the productive English agent suffix '-er', so the meaning is directly derived from the verb.

Etymology

The word assayer comes from an old French word meaning 'to try' or 'to test' and is the same root as essay, which once meant 'an attempt'. So an assayer is someone who 'tries' or tests metals to find their quality.