Assign

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: as=sign

CIDE DICTIONARY

Assign, v. t. [OE. assignen, asignen, F. assigner, fr. L. assignare; ad + signare to mark, mark out, designate, signum mark, sign. See Sign.].

•  To appoint; to allot; to apportion; to make over.  [1913 Webster]

  "In the order I assign to them."  [1913 Webster]

  "The man who could feel thus was worthy of a better station than that in which his lot had been assigned."  [1913 Webster]

  "He assigned to his men their several posts."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fix, specify, select, or designate; to point out authoritatively or exactly; as, to assign a limit; to assign counsel for a prisoner; to assign a day for trial.  [1913 Webster]

  "All as the dwarf the way to her assigned."  [1913 Webster]

  "It is not easy to assign a period more eventful."  [1913 Webster]
•  To transfer, or make over to another, esp. to transfer to, and vest in, certain persons, called assignees, for the benefit of creditors.  [1913 Webster]

To assign dower, to set out by metes and bounds the widow's share or portion in an estate. Kent.

Assign, v. i. 

 To transfer or pass over property to another, whether for the benefit of the assignee or of the assignor's creditors, or in furtherance of some trust.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Assign, n. [From Assign, v.].

 A thing pertaining or belonging to something else; an appurtenance.  [1913 Webster]
"Six French rapiers and poniards, with their assigns, as girdles, hangers, and so."  [1913 Webster]

Assign, n. [See Assignee.].

 A person to whom property or an interest is transferred; as, a deed to a man and his heirs and assigns.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Assign, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 (usu. foll. by to) a allot as a share or responsibility. b appoint to a position, task, etc.
2 fix (a time, place, etc.) for a specific purpose.
3 (foll. by to) ascribe or refer to (a reason, date, etc.) (assigned the manuscript to 1832).
4 (foll. by to) transfer formally (esp. personal property) to (another).
--n. a person to whom property or rights are legally transferred.

Derivative

assignable adj. assigner n. assignor n. (in sense 4 of v.).

Etymology

ME f. OF asi(g)ner f. L assignare mark out to (as AD-, signum sign)

THESAURUS

Assign

abalienate, accredit, alien, alienate, allocate, allot, allow, amortize, apply, appoint, apportion, appropriate, appropriate to, ascribe, assign to, associate, attach, attribute, authorize, barter, bequeath, carry over, cede, charge, charter, choose, classify, collocate, commend, commission, commit, communicate, confer, confide, consign, convey, credit, decide, deed, deed over, define, delegate, deliver, demise, denominate, deploy, deport, depute, deputize, designate, destine, detach, detail, determine, devolute, devolve, devolve upon, diffuse, dispose, disseminate, distribute, earmark, emplace, empower, enfeoff, entrust, establish, exchange, expel, export, extradite, fate, fix, get a fix, give, give homework, give in charge, give in trust, give out, give title to, grant, hand, hand down, hand forward, hand on, hand over, home in on, impart, import, impute, indicate, infeudate, install, lay, lay down, license, link, localize, locate, lot, make a syllabus, make an assignment, make assignments, make over, mark, mark off, mark out for, mention, metastasize, metathesize, mete out, mission, name, navigate, negotiate, nominate, ordain, order, ordinate, pass, pass on, pass over, pass the buck, perfuse, pick out, pigeonhole, pin down, pinpoint, place, point out, portion off, position, post, prescribe, put, put down, put in place, refer, relate, relay, relegate, remand, remise, remit, reserve, restrict, restrict to, schedule, second, select, sell, send out, set, set a task, set apart, set aside, set hurdles, set off, settle, settle on, sign away, sign over, signify, situate, specialize, specify, spot, spread, state, stipulate, surrender, switch, tab, tag, trade, transfer, transfer property, transfuse, translate, translocate, transmit, transplace, transplant, transpose, triangulate, trust, turn over, warrant, zero in on

ROGET THESAURUS

Assign

Commission

VB commission, delegate, depute, consign, assign, charge, intrust, entrust, commit, commit to the hands of, authorize, put in commission, accredit, engage, hire, bespeak, appoint, name, nominate, return, ordain, install, induct, inaugurate, swear in, invest, crown, enroll, enlist, give power of attorney to, employ, empower, set over, place over, send out, be commissioned, be accredited, represent, stand for, stand in the stead of, stand in the place of, stand in the shoes of.

Transfer

VB transfer, convey, alienate, alien, assign, grant, consign, make over, hand over, pass, hand, transmit, negotiate, hand down, exchange, change hands, change hands from one to another, devolve, succeed, come into possession, abalienate, disinherit, dispossess, substitute.

Giving

VB deliver, hand, pass, put into the hands of, hand over, make over, deliver over, pass over, turn over, assign dower, present, give away, dispense, dispose of, give out, deal out, dole out, mete out, fork out, squeeze out, pay, render, impart, communicate, concede, cede, yield, part with, shed, cast, spend, give, bestow, confer, grant, accord, award, assign, intrust, consign, vest in, make a present, allow, contribute, subscribe, furnish its quota, invest, endow, settle upon, bequeath, leave, devise, furnish, supply, help, administer to, afford, spare, accommodate with, indulge with, favor with, shower down upon, lavish, pour on, thrust upon, tip, bribe, tickle the palm, grease the palm, offer, sacrifice, immolate.

Apportionment

VB apportion, divide, distribute, administer, dispense, billet, allot, detail, cast, share, mete, portion out, parcel out, dole out, deal, carve, allocate, ration, ration out, assign, separate, partition, assign, appropriate, appoint, come in for one's share, apportion, divide, distribute, administer, dispense, billet, allot, detail, cast, share, mete, portion out, parcel out, dole out, deal, carve, allocate, ration, ration out, assign, separate, partition, assign, appropriate, appoint, come in for one's share.

Duty

VB be the duty of, be incumbent, on, be responsible, behoove, become, befit, beseem, belong to, pertain to, fall to one's lot, devolve on, lie upon, lie on one's head, lie at one's door, rest with, rest on the shoulders of, take upon oneself, be bound to, become bound to, be sponsor for, become sponsor for, incur a responsibility, be under an obligation, stand under an obligation, lie under an obligation, have to answer for, owe to it oneself, impose a duty enjoin, require, exact, bind, bind over, saddle with, prescribe, assign, call upon, look to, oblige, enter upon a duty, perform a duty, observe a duty, fulfill a duty, discharge a duty, adhere to a duty, acquit oneself of a duty, satisfy a duty, enter upon an obligation, perform an obligation, observe an obligation, fulfill an obligation, discharge an obligation, adhere to an obligation, acquit oneself of an obligation, satisfy an obligation, act one's part, redeem one's pledge, do justice to, be at one's post, do duty, do one's duty, be on one's good behavior, mind one's P's and Q's.