Assoil
[ə-SOYL]
Part of speech: verb
Origin: Middle English, late 12th century (earliest known reference)
1.
To absolve or release (someone) from blame or sin; to forgive, to pardon.
2.
To clear up or resolve (a difficulty, doubt, problem, etc.); to absolve, to solve.
Examples of Assoil in a sentence
"After their apology, I assoiled my neighbor for driving over my flowers."
"Part of the clerk’s job is to assoil scheduling conflicts."
About Assoil
From Middle English “assoilen,” meaning “to absolve or release someone from bonds of sin, to free (a country or someone) from an ecclesiastical offense or excommunication; to free someone from a criminal charge or sentence. This stems from the Anglo-Norman “as(s)oiler” or “as(s)oilier” and the Old French “as(s)oille.”
Did you Know?
Although “assoil” is considered an archaic, obsolete term now, it was widely used in centuries past. It could refer to absolving someone of sin, resolving a doubt, refuting an argument, or someone atoning for wrongdoing. It also has a completely different definition: “to make (something) dirty or soiled; to soil; to stain; to sully. The possible etymology of this version of “assoil” is either “a-,” an intensifying prefix or “ad-,” a prefix meaning “to, toward,” or indicating an addition or tendency, plus soil, meaning “to make dirty.”
