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# assailant

noun (an assailant, assailants)

«assailant» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(formal, news and police) An assailant is a person who attacks someone physically. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#m1)

### In the lessons

A formal word used in news, police reports and court cases, not in everyday chat. It tells the reader someone was attacked and this is the attacker. Phrases: «the assailant fled», «an unknown assailant», «describe the assailant».

### Examples

- The assailant ran off before the police arrived. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x1)
- The victim could not see the assailant's face. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x2)
- Police are searching for the assailant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x3)
- The shopkeeper fought off his assailant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x4)
- The two assailants were later arrested. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x5)
- Witnesses described the assailant as tall with a red hat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x6)
- He now gave the animals in charge of his friend Abderus, and made such a furious onslaught on his assailants that they turned and fled. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/#x7)

### Note

Countable noun; formal. Everyday words: attacker, mugger. Related: assail (attack), assault (an attack). Pronounced a-SAY-lent.

## In Jewish tradition

In the Psalm it means an enemy who attacks the one who trusts in God.

**Interpretation.** Tradition reads it as a prayer for God's protection. Those who take refuge in God ask Him to save them by His "right hand," a sign of His power.

### Examples

- Make passing great Thy mercies, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand from assailants them that take refuge in Thee. (Writings PSA.17.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/A/assailant/#x1)

### Note

Countable noun; formal. Everyday words: attacker, mugger. Related: assail (attack), assault (an attack). Pronounced a-SAY-lent.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «assailant» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/assailant/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«assailant» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/assailant.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «assailant» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/A/assailant/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«assailant» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/assailant.html) on Mova free.