1. The
act or offense of grubbing up
trees and bushes, and
thus destroying the tickets or coverts of a forest.
2. A
piece of
earth cleared of
trees and bushes, and fitted for cultivation; a clearing. Assart earth,
forest earth cleared of woods and brush.
Origin: 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.
To
grub up, as trees; to commit an
assart upon; as, to
assart earth or trees.
Source: Websters Vocabulary