I. əˈsist verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle French or L: Middle French assister to help, be present, from Latin assistere, adsistere to help, stand by, from ad- + sistere to cause to stand, stand; akin to Latin stare to stand — more at stand
intransitive verb
1. : to give support or aid : help
refused to assist in the campaign
waited to see if he could assist in any way
2. : to be present as a spectator
unwilling to assist at an interview between Amy and Amy's mistress — Arnold Bennett
3.
a. in euchre : to order the dealer when he is the partner to take up the turned trump
b. in bridge : raise
transitive verb
1.
a. : to give support or aid to especially in some undertaking or effort : aid
diligently endeavored to assist his search for a mate — George Meredith
assisted the boy with his lessons
b. : to perform some service for : help
a good and faithful helpmate assisted me much by attending the shop — Benjamin Franklin
assisted the old man up the stairs
2. obsolete : to take one's place with : join , attend
Synonyms: see help
II. “ sometimes ˈaˌs- in sense 2 noun
( -s )
1. : an act of assistance : aid
without any assist from her brother … she has written … a breezy novel — Bernard Kalb
2.
a. : the act of a player who by handling the ball (as in baseball) or passing the puck (as in hockey) enables a teammate to make a put-out or score a goal
b. : the official credit given a player for making such a play
3. : an act or circumstance that helps to bring about a decisive result
the winning candidate got an assist from his opponent's inept tactics
III. noun
: a mechanical or electromechanical device that provides assistance