Part 440

At*tract"or (t*trkt"r), n. One who, or that which, attracts. Sir T. Browne

At"tra*hent (&?;), a. [L. attrahens, p. pr. of attrahere. See Attract, v. t.] Attracting; drawing; attractive.

At"tra*hent, n. 1. That which attracts, as a magnet.

The motion of the steel to its attrahent

. Glanvill.

2. (Med.) A substance which, by irritating the surface, excites action in the part to which it is applied, as a blister, an epispastic, a sinapism.

At*trap" (&?;), v. t. [F. attraper to catch; à (L. ad) + trappe trap. See Trap (for taking game).] To entrap; to insnare. [Obs.] Grafton.

At*trap", v. t. [Pref. ad + trap to adorn.] To adorn with trapping; to array. [Obs.]

Shall your horse be attrapped . . . more richly? Holland.

At`trec*ta"tion (&?;), n. [L. attrectatio; ad + tractare to handle.] Frequent handling or touching. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.

At*trib"u*ta*ble (&?;), a. Capable of being attributed; ascribable; imputable.

Errors . . . attributable to carelessness. J. D. Hooker.

At*trib"ute (t"tr*bt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attributed; p. pr. & vb. n. Attributing.] [L. attributus, p. p. of attribuere; ad + tribuere to bestow. See Tribute.] To ascribe; to consider (something) as due or appropriate (to); to refer, as an effect to a cause; to impute; to assign; to consider as belonging (to).

We attribute nothing to God that hath any repugnancy or contradiction in it. Abp. Tillotson.

The merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer. Shak.

Syn. -- See Ascribe.

At"tri*bute (&?;), n. [L. attributum.] 1. That which is attributed; a quality which is considered as belonging to, or inherent in, a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic.

But mercy is above this sceptered away; . . . It is an attribute to God himself. Shak.

2. Reputation. [Poetic] Shak.

3. (Paint. & Sculp.) A conventional symbol of office, character, or identity, added to any particular figure; as, a club is the attribute of Hercules.

4. (Gram.) Quality, etc., denoted by an attributive; an attributive adjunct or adjective.

At`tri*bu"tion (&?;), n. [L. attributio: cf. F. attribution.] 1. The act of attributing or ascribing, as a quality, character, or function, to a thing or person, an effect to a cause.

2. That which is ascribed or attributed.

At*trib"u*tive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. attributif.] Attributing; pertaining to, expressing, or assigning an attribute; of the nature of an attribute.

At*trib"u*tive, n., (Gram.) A word that denotes an attribute; esp. a modifying word joined to a noun; an adjective or adjective phrase.

At*trib"u*tive*ly, adv. In an attributive manner.

At*trite" (&?;), a. [L. attritus, p. p. of atterere; ad + terere to rub. See Trite.] 1. Rubbed; worn by friction. Milton.

2. (Theol.) Repentant from fear of punishment; having attrition of grief for sin; -- opposed to contrite.