Definition of "assistant"

assistant

/əˈsɪstənt/

adjective
not comparable
1. Having a subordinate or auxiliary position.
2. Helping; lending aid or support; auxiliary.
  Quotations
  Genius and learning […] are mutually and greatly assistant to each other.
  1790, James Beattie, Elements of Moral Science
  The person principally assistant on this occasion, indeed the only one who did any service, or seemed likely to do any, was the landlady […]
  1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […]
noun
plural assistants
1. (obsolete) Someone who is present; a bystander, a witness.
  Quotations
  a woman of great authority, having first yeelded an accompt unto her Citizens, and shewed good reasons why she was resolved to end her life, earnestly entreated Pompey to be an assistant at her death, that so it might be esteemed more honourable […].
  1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 3, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]
2. A person who assists or helps someone else.
3. (Britain) Sales assistant.
4. A software tool that provides assistance in some task, a wizard program.