assailant
UK: əˈseɪlənt | US: əˈseɪlənt
n. a person who physically attacks another; an aggressor
n. (figuratively) a persistent critic or opponent
assailant = assail<attack> + ant<noun suffix (agent)>
- assail (from Old French assaillir, Latin assilire: ad- (toward) + salire (to leap/jump))
Original meaning: "to leap at," evolving to "attack violently." - ant (agent noun suffix, from Latin -antem, indicating "one who does something")
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin assilire ("to leap at"), combining ad- (intensifying direction) and salire (to jump). In Old French, assaillir retained the sense of physical assault. The suffix -ant (via Latin -antem) marks the actor, creating "one who attacks." The term vividly captures the image of an aggressor "leaping toward" a victim.
The police quickly apprehended the assailant after the robbery.
She defended herself bravely against her assailant.
Journalists often face assailants in the form of online trolls.
The victim could not identify her assailant in the dark alley.
Legal protections are crucial for survivors of assailant violence.