Part 751

<i>Bouvier. Burrill. Blackstone.</i>

<syn>Syn. -- <er>Attachment</er>, <er>Affection</er></syn>. <usage>The leading idea of <i>affection</i> is that of warmth and tenderness; the leading idea of <i>attachment</i> is that of being bound to some object by strong and lasting ties. There is more of sentiment (and sometimes of romance) in <i>affection</i>, and more of principle in preserving <i>attachment</i>. We speak of the ardor of the one, and the fidelity of the other. There is another distinction in the use and application of these words. The term <i>attachment</i> is applied to a wider range of objects than <i>affection</i>. A man may have a strong <i>attachment</i> to his country, to his profession, to his principles, and even to favorite places; in respect to none of these could we use the word <i>affection</i>.</usage>

<h1>Attack</h1> <Xpage=97>

<hw>At*tack"</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Attacked</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Attacking</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[F. <ets>attaquer</ets>, orig. another form of <ets>attacher</ets> to attack: cf. It. <ets>attacare</ets> to fasten, attack. See <er>Attach</er>, <er>Tack</er> a small nail.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault.</def> "<i>Attack</i> their lines."

<i>Dryden.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>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>as, to <ex>attack</ex> a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet</as>.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some object of labor or investigation.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.</def>

<blockquote>On the fourth of March he was <b>attacked</b> by fever. <i>Macaulay.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Hydrofluoric acid . . . <b>attacks</b> the glass. <i>B. Stewart.</i></blockquote>

<syn>Syn. -- To <er>Attack</er>, <er>Assail</er>, <er>Assault</er>, <er>Invade</er>.</syn> <usage> These words all denote a violent onset; <i>attack</i> being the generic term, and the others specific forms of attack. To <i>attack</i> is to commence the onset; to <i>assail</i> is to make a sudden and violent attack, or to make repeated attacks; to <i>assault</i> (literally, to leap upon) is to attack physically by a had-to-hand approach or by unlawful and insulting violence; to <i>invade</i> is to enter by force on what belongs to another. Thus, a person may <i>attack</i> by offering violence of any kind; he may <i>assail</i> by means of missile weapons; he may <i>assault</i> by direct personal violence; a king may <i>invade</i> by marching an army into a country. Figuratively, we may say, men <i>attack</i> with argument or satire; they <i>assail</i> with abuse or reproaches; they may be <i>assaulted</i> by severe temptations; the rights of the people may be <i>invaded</i> by the encroachments of the crown.</usage>

<h1>Attack</h1> <Xpage=97>

<hw>At*tack"</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To make an onset or attack.</def>

<h1>Attack</h1> <Xpage=97>

<hw>At*tack"</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>attaque</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>The act of attacking, or falling on with force or violence; an onset; an assault; -- opposed to <i>defense</i>.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>An assault upon one's feelings or reputation with unfriendly or bitter words.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A setting to work upon some task, etc.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>An access of disease; a fit of sickness.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive action, by a chemical agent.</def>

<h1>Attackable</h1> <Xpage=97>

<hw>At*tack"a*ble</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Capable of being attacked.</def>

<h1>Attacker</h1> <Xpage=97>

<hw>At*tack"er</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>One who attacks.</def>

<h1>Attagas, Attagen</h1> <Xpage=97>

<hw><hw>At"ta*gas</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <hw>At"ta*gen</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>,<hw> <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>attagen</ets> a kind of bird, Gr. <?/, <?/.]</ety> <fld>(Zo\'94l.)</fld> <def>A species of sand grouse <spn>(Syrrghaptes Pallasii)</spn> found in Asia and rarely in southern Europe.</def>

<-- p. 98 -->

<h1>Attaghan</h1> <Xpage=98>

<hw>At"ta*ghan</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <def>See <er>Yataghan</er>.</def>