attenuation

See also: atténuation

English

Etymology

From Middle English attenuacioun, a borrowing from Latin attenuātiō (“a diminishing”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

attenuation (countable and uncountable, plural attenuations)

1. A gradual diminishing of strength.
2. (physics) A reduction in the level of some property with distance, especially the amplitude of a wave or the strength of a signal.
3. (biology) A weakening in the virulence of a pathogen or other microorganism.
4. (botany) The tapering of a leaf etc to a fine point.
5. (engineering) A fabrication process in which a material is stretched out into a thin shape.
6. (homeopathy) The reduction of the active principles of medicines to minute doses.

Derived terms

• diattenuation
• disattenuation
• hyperattenuation
• hypoattenuation
• isoattenuation
• neuroattenuation
• nonattenuation
• space attenuation
• underattenuation
• vasoattenuation

 

Related terms

• attenuate
• tenuous
• thin

Translations

a gradual diminishing in the strength

• Afrikaans: verswakking
• Bulgarian: намаляване (bg) (namaljavane), отслабване (bg) (otslabvane)
• Finnish: vaimennus
• French: atténuation (fr) f
• Georgian: მილევა (mileva)
• Italian: attenuazione (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: tłumienie (pl) n
• Romanian: atenuare (ro), diminuare (ro)
• Russian: ослабле́ние (ru) n (oslablénije)
• Spanish: atenuación (es) f
• Turkish: sönüm (tr)

a reduction in the level of some property with distance

• Bulgarian: затихване (zatihvane)
• Finnish: vaimentuminen
• Georgian: მილევა (mileva)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: atenuação (pt) f
• Russian: затуха́ние (ru) n (zatuxánije), аттенюа́ция f (attɛnjuácija)