• noun:   a quantitative or qualitative test of a substance (especially an ore or a drug) to determine its components; frequently used to test for the presence or concentration of infectious agents or antibodies etc.
• noun:   an appraisal of the state of affairs

  Example: "They made an assay of the contents"

• noun:   a written report of the results of an analysis of the composition of some substance
• noun:   a substance that is undergoing an analysis of its components
• verb:   analyze (chemical substances)
• verb:   make an effort or attempt

Related words...