▪ I. † aˈssiege, v. Obs.
Forms: 3–4 asege, 4 aseege, 4–6 assege, 5–6 -yege, 6 -aige, -eige, 5–7 assiege.
[a. OF. asegier (mod. assiéger), cogn. with Pr. assetiar, assetjar, Sp. asediar, It. assediare:—late L. assediāre f. as- = ad- to, at + sedium (cf. obsidium) sitting, siege.]
To besiege, lay siege to, beleaguer, beset.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 184 Kyng Arture and ys poer aseged hym wyþoute. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 23 And how asegid was Ypolita The faire hardy quyen of Cithea. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 158/3 They had assyeged Jherusalem. 1522–4 Diurn. Occurr. (1833) 8 And assaigit the castell of Wark. 1632 J. Hayward Eromena 160 She was assieged, and in danger to bee lost. |
▪ II. † aˈssiege, n. Obs.
Also 4 asseege, 4–5 assege, 6 assige.
[f. prec. Not in Fr.]
A siege.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xvii. 270 He..To the toune ane assege set. 1469 Sir J. Paston in Lett. 621 II. 375, I have herde..werse tydyngs syn the assege by gan. 1589 P. Ive Fortif. 5 The Winde and Seas alteration is such, that an Assige at Sea cannot be continued. 1598 Florio, Oppugnatione..an assiege [not in ed. 1611]. |