Assault with a deadly weapon was a type of assault committed with an item that had the potential to inflict death upon a victim.
In 2374, after a feral Molly O'Brien stabbed a Tarkalean with a broken bottle, he filed an "assault with a deadly weapon" charges against her. Despite the fact that she was trying to run away, not hurt him, he refused to listen to Odo and remained firm in his belief that Molly was dangerous and needed to be incarcerated. (DS9: "Time's Orphan")