attack
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From French attaque, derived from the verb attaquer, from Italian attaccare (“to join, attach”) used in attaccare battaglia, "to join battle". Cognate with Italian attacca and German Attacke.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
attack (plural attacks)
- An attempt to cause damage or injury to, or to somehow detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.
- They claimed the censorship of the article was an attack of free speech.
- 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, Lord Stranleigh Abroad[1]:
- “I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn’t I ? Why didn’t I telephone ? Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. …”
- A time in which one attacks. The offence of a battle.
- The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations.
- (cricket) Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side.
- (volleyball) Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net.
- (lacrosse) The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team.
- The sudden onset of a disease.
- I´ve had an attack of the flu.
- An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease.
- (audio) The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack).
Synonyms[edit]
- (volleyball): hit, spike
- See also Wikisaurus:attack
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
attempt to cause damage or injury
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offense of a battle
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cricket: bowlers of a cricket side
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volleyball: hit other than serve or block that sends the ball over the net
lacrosse: the attackmen of a team
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medicine: sudden onset of a disease
amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level
Verb[edit]
attack (third-person singular simple present attacks, present participle attacking, simple past and past participle attacked)
- (transitive) To apply violent force to someone or something.
- This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened.
- (transitive) To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar).
- She published an article attacking the recent pay cuts.
- 2012 June 3, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Mr. Plow” (season 4, episode 9; originally aired 11/19/1992)”:
- In its God-like prime, The Simpsons attacked well-worn satirical fodder from unexpected angles, finding fresh laughs in the hoariest of subjects.
- (transitive) To deal with something undesirable in a direct way.
- We´ll have dinner before we attack the biology homework.
- (transitive, cricket) To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket.
- (intransitive, cricket) To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets.
- (intransitive, cricket) To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly.
- (soccer) To move forward in an attempt to actively score point, as opposed to trying not to concede.
- 2011 October 15, Michael Da Silva, “Wigan 1 - 3 Bolton”, BBC Sport:
- Six successive defeats had left them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table but, clearly under instructions to attack from the outset, Bolton started far the brighter.
- 2011 October 15, Michael Da Silva, “Wigan 1 - 3 Bolton”, BBC Sport:
Synonyms[edit]
- See also Wikisaurus:attack
Translations[edit]
to apply violent force
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to aggressively challenge with words
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to deal with something undesirable in a direct way
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cricket: to aim balls at the batsman’s wicket
cricket: to set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
External links[edit]
- attack in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- attack in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- attack at OneLook Dictionary Search
Swedish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
attack c
Declension[edit]
Declension of attack
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common | indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite |
| nominative | attack | attacken | attacker | attackerna |
| genitive | attacks | attackens | attackers | attackernas |
