assart

CIDE DICTIONARY

assart, n. [OF. essart the grubbing up of trees, fr. essarter to grub up or clear ground of bushes, shrubs, trees, etc., fr. LL. exartum, exartare, for exsaritare; L. ex + sarire, sarrire, saritum, to hoe, weed.].

•  The act or offense of grubbing up trees and bushes, and thus destroying the thickets or coverts of a forest.  Spelman. Cowell.  [1913 Webster]
•  A piece of land cleared of trees and bushes, and fitted for cultivation; a clearing.  Ash.  [1913 Webster]

Assart land, forest land cleared of woods and brush.

assart, v. t. 

 To grub up, as trees; to commit an assart upon; as, to assart land or trees.  Ashmole.  [1913 Webster]