Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Assign \As*sign"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Assigned}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Assigning}.] [OE. assignen, asignen, F. assigner, fr. L.
   assignare; ad + signare to mark, mark out, designate, signum
   mark, sign. See {Sign}.]
   1. To appoint; to allot; to apportion; to make over.

            In the order I assign to them.        --Loudon.

            The man who could feel thus was worthy of a better
            station than that in which his lot had been
            assigned.                             --Southey.

            He assigned to his men their several posts.
                                                  --Prescott.

   2. To fix, specify, select, or designate; to point out
      authoritatively or exactly; as, to assign a limit; to
      assign counsel for a prisoner; to assign a day for trial.

            All as the dwarf the way to her assigned. --Spenser.

            It is not easy to assign a period more eventful.
                                                  --De Quincey.

   3. (Law) To transfer, or make over to another, esp. to
      transfer to, and vest in, certain persons, called
      assignees, for the benefit of creditors.

   {To assign dower}, to set out by metes and bounds the widow's
      share or portion in an estate. --Kent.

Source : WordNet®

assigning
     n : the act of distributing something to designated places or
         persons; "the first task is the assignment of an address
         to each datum" [syn: {assignment}]