A person who attacks or violently assaults someone else.
From Old French 'assaillir,' meaning 'to attack.' This came from Latin 'assalire,' with 'ad-' (to) and 'salire' (to leap or jump). The word literally means 'to leap at' someone.
An assailant is someone who 'leaps at' you—the word captures that violent, sudden nature of an attack. It's from the same root as 'salient,' which means 'standing out,' because both involve a sudden jump or burst forward.
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