assault ( assaults plural & 3rd person present) ( assaulting present participle) ( assaulted past tense & past participle )
1 n-count An assault by an army is a strong attack made on an area held by the enemy.
oft N on/upon/against n
(=attack)
The rebels are poised for a new assault on the government garrisons...
2 adj Assault weapons such as rifles are intended for soldiers to use in battle rather than for purposes such as hunting.
ADJ n
3 n-var An assaulton a person is a physical attack on them.
oft N on/upon n
The attack is one of a series of savage sexual assaults on women in the university area..., At the police station, I was charged with assault.
4 verb To assault someone means to physically attack them.
(=attack)
The gang assaulted him with iron bars... V n
She may have been sexually assaulted by her killer. V n
5 n-count An assaulton someone's beliefs is a strong criticism of them. oft N on/upon/against n He leveled a verbal assault against his Democratic opponents.
assault and battery
Assault and battery is the crime of attacking someone and causing them physical harm. (LEGAL) n-uncount
assault course ( assault courses plural ) An assault course is an area of land covered with obstacles such as walls which people, especially soldiers, use to improve their skills and strength.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, use obstacle course
indecent assault
Indecent assault is the crime of attacking someone in a way which involves touching or threatening them sexually, but not forcing them to have sexual intercourse. n-uncount