as·se·gai or as·sa·gai (?s??-g??)n.1. A light spear or lance used by Bantu peoples of southern Africa.2. A tall evergreen tree (Curtisia dentata) of southern Africa, having durable wood used for making weapons, furniture, and other wooden products, and bark that is used in traditional medicine.[Early Modern English, from Middle French azagaye (probably via Old Spanish azagaya, a small spear or javelin), from Arabic az-za??ya, the spear : al-, the + za??ya, spear, of Berber origin; akin to Tuareg t?h?ait, bayonet, from earlier *t?z?ait (*t?-…-t, feminine noun circumfix).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.assegai (?æs???a?) or assagain, pl -gais1. (Plants) a southern African cornaceous tree, Curtisia faginea, the wood of which is used for making spears2. (Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) a sharp light spear, esp one made of this wood[C17: from Portuguese azagaia, from Arabic az zagh?yah, from al the + zagh?yah assegai, from Berber]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014as?se?gai or as?sa?gai (?æs ??ga?) n., pl. -gais. 1. an iron-tipped spear used by Bantu peoples of S Africa. 2. a S African tree, Curtisia dentata, of the dogwood family, from whose wood such weapons were made. [1615?25; earlier azagaia