assoil Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
exculpate; acquit; clear; discharge; exonerate.
- The suspect was cleared of the murder charges

OF. assoiler, absoiler, assoldre, F. absoudre, L. absolvere. See Absolve.

To set free; to release. Archaic
Till from her hands the spright assoiled is. Spenser.
To solve; to clear up. Obs.
Any child might soon be able to assoil this riddle. Bp. Jewel.
To set free from guilt; to absolve. Archaic
Acquitted and assoiled from the guilt. Dr. H. More.

Many persons think themselves fairly assoiled, because they are . . . not of scandalous lives. Jer. Taylor.
To expiate; to atone for. Archaic Spenser.
Let each act assoil a fault. E. Arnold.
To remove; to put off. Obs.
She soundly slept, and careful thoughts did quite assoil. Spenser.

Pref. ad- + soil.

To soil; to stain. Obs. or Poet. Beau. & Fl.
Ne'er assoil my cobwebbed shield. Wordsworth.