Lexic.us

Definition of Attack

1. Noun. (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons). "The attack began at dawn"

2. Verb. Launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with. "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"

3. Noun. An offensive move in a sport or game. "They won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"

4. Verb. Attack in speech or writing. "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"

5. Noun. Intense adverse criticism. "Don't give me any flak"

6. Verb. Take the initiative and go on the offensive. "The visiting team started to attack"

7. Noun. Ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation. "His plan of attack was misguided"

8. Verb. Attack someone physically or emotionally. "Nightmares assailed him regularly"

9. Noun. The act of attacking. "They made an attempt on his life"

10. Verb. Set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task. "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"

11. Noun. A decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase.

12. Verb. Begin to injure. "Rust is attacking the metal"

13. Noun. A sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition. "An attack of diarrhea"

14. Noun. The onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent). "Open to attack by the elements"

15. Noun. Strong criticism. "He published an unexpected attack on my work"

Definition of Attack

1. v. t. To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault.

2. v. i. To make an onset or attack.

3. n. The act of attacking, or falling on with force or violence; an onset; an assault; -- opposed to defense.

Definition of Attack

1. Noun. 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. ¹

2. Noun. A time in which one attacks. The offence of a battle. ¹

3. Noun. (cricket) Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side. ¹

4. Noun. (volleyball) Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net. ¹

5. Noun. (lacrosse) The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team. ¹

6. Noun. The sudden onset of a disease. ¹

7. Noun. An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease. ¹

8. Noun. (context: 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). ¹

9. Verb. (transitive) To apply violent force to someone or something. ¹

10. Verb. (transitive) To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (''particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar''). ¹

11. Verb. (transitive) To deal with something undesirable in a direct way. ¹

12. Verb. (transitive cricket) To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket. ¹

13. Verb. (intransitive cricket) To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets. ¹

14. Verb. (intransitive cricket) To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly. ¹

15. Verb. (soccer) To move forward in an attempt to actively score point, as opposed to trying not to concede. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Attack

1. to set upon violently [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Attack

1. 1. To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault. "Attack their lines." 2. To assail with unfriendly speech or writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by criticism or satire; to censure; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet. 3. To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some object of labour or investigation. 4. To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. "On the fourth of March he was attacked by fever." (Macaulay) "Hydrofluoric acid . . . Attacks the glass." (B. Stewart) Synonym: To Attack, Assail, Assault, Invade. These words all denote a violent onset; attack being the generic term, and the others specific forms of attack. To attack is to commence the onset; to assail is to make a sudden and violent attack, or to make repeated attacks; to assault (literally, to leap upon) is to attack physically by a had-to-hand approach or by unlawful and insulting violence; to invade is to enter by force on what belongs to another. Thus, a person may attack by offering violence of any kind; he may assail by means of missile weapons; he may assault by direct personal violence; a king may invade by marching an army into a country. Figuratively, we may say, men attack with argument or satire; they assail with abuse or reproaches; they may be assaulted by severe temptations; the rights of the people may be invaded by the encroachments of the crown. Origin: F. Attaquer, orig. Another form of attacher to attack: cf. It. Attacare to fasten, attack. See Attach, Tack a small nail. 1. The act of attacking, or falling on with force or violence; an onset; an assault; opposed to defense. 2. An assault upon one's feelings or reputation with unfriendly or bitter words. 3. A setting to work upon some task, etc. 4. An access of disease; a fit of sickness. 5. The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive action, by a chemical agent. Origin: Cf. F. Attaque. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Attack

attachedness attacher attachers attaches attachiamenta de spinis et boscis attaching attachingness attachment attachment apparatus attachment disorder

attachment sites attachments attacht attaché case attaché cases attack (current term) attack aircraft attack aircraft carrier attack au fer attack dog

attack dogs attack is the best form of defence attack rate attack submarine attackable attacked attackee attackees attacker attackers

Literary usage of Attack

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. On War by Carl von Clausewitz, James John Graham, Frederic Natusch Maude (1908)
"Moreover, the conception of an enclosed theatre of War, has a nearer relation to the defence than to the attack. Many of the leading points, the object of ..."

2. Dictionary of National Biography: From the Earliest Times to 1900 by George Smith, Leslie Stephen, Sidney Lee (1897)
"The attack was made by night and in boats. Sidney showed great courage and alertness, and the garrison surrendered without striking a blow. ..."

3. Monographic Medicine by William Robie Patten Emerson, Guido Guerrini, William Brown, Wendell Christopher Phillips, John Whitridge Williams, John Appleton Swett, Hans Günther, Mario Mariotti, Hugh Grant Rowell (1916)
"The Uric-acid Excretion in the Acute Gouty attack Whether on a purin-free diet, or on a mixed diet with constant purin content, the gouty patient just ..."

4. The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, Henry Dale, Thomas Arnold (1873)
"... to attack tho Athenians, •when they were not expecting it. ... Athenians at an curlier hour, but on the same plun of attack, both by sea nnd by land. ..."

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