# assist

Pronunciation: say "uh-SIST" /əˈsɪst/

## Verb

1. To give help or support to a person or effort.
   - Simple: To do something useful for someone who needs help with a task.
   - _Nurses assist surgeons throughout long operations._
   - _A local guide assisted the tourists in finding their hotel._
4. To make a pass that leads directly to a teammate scoring.
   - Simple: To make a pass that helps a teammate score.
   - _She assisted twice in the championship game._
   - _Forwards who assist as often as they score are highly valued._
6. To compensate for a missing or impaired bodily function using a medical technique or therapy.
   - Simple: To use a medical method or treatment to make up for something the body cannot do alone.
   - _The device assists circulation in patients with heart failure._
   - _Ventilators assist breathing when the lungs cannot work on their own._

## Noun

2. A helpful action, or a contribution that aids someone's effort.
   - Simple: A helpful action that makes a task easier for someone.
   - _The new scheduling software is a real assist for busy accountants._
   - _Small assists from each team member added up to a big result._
3. A decisive pass that leads directly to a teammate scoring a goal.
   - Simple: A pass that lets a teammate score a goal.
   - _The midfielder's assist split the defense wide open._
   - _He finished the season with twelve goals and eighteen assists._
5. A defensive play that enables a teammate to complete a putout, such as a fielder's throw that retires a runner.
   - Simple: A play in baseball that helps a teammate get a batter or runner out.
   - _The second baseman recorded an assist on the double play._
   - _Her arm strength produced dozens of outfield assists that season._

## Verb

7. To station oneself at a particular place, or to hold to a particular opinion. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To stand in a certain place, or to hold firmly to an opinion.
   - _The watchmen assist at the city wall each evening._
   - _He assisted to his judgment though all the others disagreed._
8. To be present at an event, occasion, or gathering. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To be there at an event or occasion.
   - _Dignitaries assist at the coronation in great numbers._
   - _He assisted at every meeting of the society that year._

## Origin

From Middle English "assisten," from Old French "assister" (to assist, to attend), which comes from Latin "assistō" meaning to stand at.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/assist (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).