"assaying" in the verb sense
1. assay
analyze (chemical substances)
2. try, seek, attempt, essay, assay
make an effort or attempt
"He tried to shake off his fears"
"The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"
"The police attempted to stop the thief"
"He sought to improve himself"
"She always seeks to do good in the world"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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