assay
n. countablen. a test that checks how pure or strong a substance is, like gold or a drug. It is a formal way to describe a scientific analysis.
n. a qualitative or quantitative analysis of a substance to determine its components or purity. Frequently used in metallurgical, pharmacological, and biochemical contexts to verify the concentration of a specific ingredient.
The lab performed an assay to check the purity of the gold.
Before the new medication could be approved, the researchers had to complete a precise assay of its active ingredients.
The mining company awaited the results of the chemical assay, which would determine whether the ore vein was rich enough to justify the cost of a full-scale extraction operation.
From Middle English assay (noun) and assayen (verb), from Anglo-Norman assai (noun) and Anglo-Norman assaier (verb), from Old French essai. Doublet of essay.
Often paired with 'of' to specify the substance being tested.