assart

1 of 2

intransitive verb

as·sart

əˈsärt

variants or less commonly essart

ə̇ˈ-

-ed/-ing/-s

English law

: to grub up trees and bushes to make land arable

assart

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly essart

plural -s

English law : act of grubbing up trees or bushes usually in converting forestland into arable land

English law : a piece of land cleared

Word History

Etymology

Intransitive verb

Middle French essarter, from Old French, from essart

Noun

Middle French essart, from Old French, from Late Latin exartum, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin exsartum, neuter of exsartus, past participle of exsarire to weed out, from Latin ex out + sarire to hoe, weed; akin to Old High German sarf sharp, Latin sarpere to prune, Greek harpagē hook, rake, Sanskrit sṛṇī sickle