Forms: 4–5 assemblee, 4–6 assemblé, 5 assembillé, -blay, 6 -blie, 5– assembly. See also aphet. SEMBLY. [a. OF. a(s)semblee, sb., f. fem. pa. pple. of assembler: see ASSEMBLE v.1 and -Y3. Cf. army.]
I. The action or fact of assembling, the state of being assembled.
1. Gathering together, meeting; the state of being collected or gathered; = ASSEMBLAGE 1.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, V. v. 76. The byrdes … syttynge in assemble vpon an hye tre.
1436. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 152. The duk of Burgayn … Mad gret assembillé in landes wyd.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 267. Mony assemblay that gawane gart be maid To wit his name.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 187. Unlawfull assembly is where people assemble themselves together to doe some unlawfull thing against the peace.
1876. Green, Short Hist., viii. § 6. 521. A Triennial Bill enforced the assembly of the Houses every three years.
† 2. The coming together of two persons or things; meeting, conjunction, union. Cf. ASSEMBLAGE 2.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 759. My makelez lambe … Me ches to hys make, al-þaȝ vnmete Sum tyme semed þat assemblé.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 51. Vnder Southamptone was þer assemble, Of Harald & Hardknoute.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 255/4. The unyte and assemble of the flesshe of oure lord and of oure lady.
† 3. Hostile meeting, onslaught, attack. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XII. 491. He gert trwmp vp to the assemble.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XV. 6299. He was … sonest in assembly in þe sad fyght.
a. 1500. Lancelot, 3336. The Knycht … Wich at the first assemble in this sted Wencussith all.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 454. Ane scharpar sembla ȝit wes thair neuer sene.
II. The company assembled.
4. A gathering of persons; a number of people met together; a concourse, throng.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 73. Þe bisshop corouned hir þore, bifor þat faire semble.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. Prol. 216. Barones an burgeis … I seiȝ in þis assemble.
1486. Caxton, Curial, 10. Kepe you ferre fro suche an assemblee.
1543. Necess. Doctr., F j b. Ecclesia, that is to saye, an assemble of people called out from other.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., III. ii. 19. If there bee any in this Assembly, any deere Friend of Cæsars.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 1, ¶ 5. I sometimes pass for a Jew in the Assembly of Stock Jobbers.
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, I. 286. The assembly broke up.
esp. 5. A gathering of persons for the purpose of deliberation and decision; a deliberative body, a legislative council.
1366. Maundev., iii. 16. Thei holden here Grete Conseilles and here Assembleez.
c. 1440. Morte Arth., 1578. Salle he never … sitt in þe assemblé, in syghte wyth his feris.
1534. More, On the Passion, Wks. 1302/1. Therefore agreed thys greate assemble that they would not take hym on the holye daye.
1681. Nevile, Plato Rediv., 72. A Government consisting of a Prince and a Popular Assembly.
1718. Pope, Iliad, I. 77. The assembly seated, rising o’er the rest, Achilles thus the king of men address’d.
1878. Gladstone, Prim. Homer, 125. The Achaian assemblies were in general regularly summoned by the heralds.
b. Hence in various specific or historical uses:—
Assembly or General Assembly: the name given to the legislature in some of the United States of America. General Assembly of the Church of Scotland: the representative body which meets annually to direct its affairs; other Presbyterian bodies elect similar councils. National Assembly of France: the popularly elected branch of the legislature. Primary Assembly: (see quot.). Westminster Assembly of Divines, appointed by the Long Parliament in 1643, to aid in settling the government and liturgy of the Church of England (whence The Assembly’s Catechism).
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., IV. 344. The General Assembly of the Church … holden in December [1561], after the Queen’s Arrival.
1643. Milton, Divorce, Introd. To the Parliament of England, with the Assembly.
1698. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 223. The Comittee presented to this board three bills which was brought to them from ye Assembly.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scotl., I. III. an. 1560. The first general assembly of the church … was held this year.
1794. J. Gifford, Reign Louis XVI., 212. The inhabitants of every district in France, preparatory to the election of delegates, hold what is called a primary assembly, where they choose a prescribed number of electors, who are to act for the whole in the choice of a representative to the states.
1839. Penny Cycl., XV. 255/2. Mirabeau was now acknowledged as the chief leader in the National Assembly.
6. A gathering of persons for religious worship; a congregation.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. iii. 50. We haue no Temple but the wood, no assembly but home-beasts.
1641. Hinde, J. Bruen, xxvii. 83. To bring in such able and godly Ministers … into the publike Assembly.
a. 1748. Watts, Hymn. Lord, how delightful ’tis to see A whole assembly worship thee.
7. A gathering of persons for purposes of social entertainment. (The public assembly, which formed a regular feature of fashionable life in the 18th century, is described by Chambers (Cycl., 1751) as ‘a stated and general meeting of the polite persons of both sexes, for the sake of conversation, gallantry, news, and play.’ Private assemblies corresponded in some respects to the modern ‘reception’ or ‘at-home.’)
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., V. i. 60. Haply in priuate. Adr. And in assemblies too. Ibid. (1603), Meas. for M., I. iii. 9. I haue euer lou’d the life remoued, And held in idle price to haunt assemblies.
1718. Free-thinker, No. 2. 10. He will find admittance into all the crowded Balls and Assemblies.
1764. Foote, Patron, I. (1774), 9. You know this is his day of assembly, I suppose you will be there.
1865. H. Phillips, Amer. Paper Curr., II. 167. Gaiety pervaded the American camp … and an assembly was organized.
1883. Scotsman, 15 Jan., 1/1 (Advt.). Citizen Assemblies. Fancy Dress Ball in aid of the Royal Infirmary.
† 8. A collection of things; = ASSEMBLAGE 4.
1642. Howell, For. Trav. (Arb.), 51. An assembly of huge crags and hils.
1699. Evelyn, Acetaria (1729), 149. A very plentiful assembly of Sallet-Herbs.
III. A military call by drum or bugle. Cf. ASSEMBLE sb.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Assembly is also used … for the second beat of the drum. On hearing this, the soldiers strike their tents, roll them up, and then stand to their arms. The third beating is called the march, as the first is called the general.
1803. Sir J. Nicholls, in Gurw., Wellington Disp., II. 394. The generale was beat at half-past four, the assembly at half-past five.
IV. Comb., assembly-man, a member of an Assembly (see sense 5); assembly-room, a room in which assemblies (see sense 7) were formerly held, and in which balls, concerts, and similar entertainments are now given.
1647. in Harl. Misc. (1745), V. 93/1. (title), The Assembly-man.
1684. Baxter, 12 Argts., § 16. 28. Separatists, such as the Assembly-men had been.
1744. Johnson, L. P., Savage, Wks. III. 298. Nor could she enter the assembly-rooms … without being saluted with some lines from The Bastard.
1875. Wingate, in N. Amer. Rev., CXX. 161. An Assemblyman came to his room one day to receive the price of his vote.
1862. Thackeray, Four Georges, ii. 99. Every country town had its assembly-room.
