What part of speech is the word assistant?

"Assistant" can be several parts of speech, depending on how it's used in a sentence:

* Noun: This is the most common usage, referring to a person who helps someone else. Example: "The assistant helped the manager with the presentation."

* Adjective: This usage describes something that helps or aids. Example: "The assistant coach guided the players."

* Verb: This is a less common usage, meaning to help or aid. Example: "The intern assisted the doctor during surgery."

To determine the part of speech, you need to consider the word's function within the sentence.