assaulter
|as-sault-er|
🇺🇸
/əˈsɔːltər/
🇬🇧
/əˈsɔːltə/
(assault)
attack or threat
Etymology
'assaulter' originates from English, specifically the word 'assault' with the agentive suffix '-er'; 'assault' itself comes from Old French 'assaulter', ultimately from Latin roots (ad- 'toward' + salire 'to leap').
'salire' (Latin, 'to leap') led to Late Latin/Vulgar forms such as 'assaltare' or 'assultare', which became Old French 'assaulter'; Middle English adopted 'assault' and English later formed the agent noun 'assaulter' (assault + -er).
Initially connected to the notion 'to leap upon' or 'rush at' (physical attack), the sense evolved into the broader legal/ordinary meaning 'to attack' (physical or aggressive action); 'assaulter' now means 'a person who commits an assault'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who commits an assault; someone who attacks another person (usually physically).
The police identified the assaulter from the CCTV footage and made an arrest.
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Noun 2
someone who attacks another verbally or aggressively in a non-physical sense (usage less common; typically legal/forensic contexts refer to physical attack).
In the argument, he was described by witnesses as the assaulter who shouted insults at the victim.
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Last updated: 2025/11/01 20:30