Etymology From French essart from Vulgar Latin exsartum.
1
Forest land cleared for agriculture.
2
LawObsolete The act or offence of grubbing up trees and bushes, and thus destroying the thickets or coverts of a forest.
[…] an assart of the Forest, is the greatest offence or trespasse of all other, that can be done in the forest, to vert or venison, containing in it as much as waste or more. For whereas the waste of the Forest, is but the felling and cutting downe of the couerts, which may grow againe in time: an assart, is a plucking them vp […]1607, John Cowell, The Interpreter: or Booke Containing the Signification of Words, Cambridge: John Legate:
assart
verb
Etymology From French essart from Vulgar Latin exsartum.
1
To clear forest land for agriculture; remove stumps.
[…] if a man sue out a Licence to assart his grounds in the Forest, and to make it several for Tillage, then it is no offence.1661, Thomas Blount, Glossographia, London: George Sawbridge:
1775, John Ash, The New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language, London: Edward & Charles Dilly, Volume I, ASSART v.t. […] To clear away wood.