Part 760

<i>Sir W. Hamilton.</i>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>An act of civility or courtesy; care for the comfort and pleasure of others; <as>as, <ex>attentions</ex> paid to a stranger</as>.</def>

<cs><mcol><col>To pay attention to</col>, <col>To pay one's attentions to</col></mcol>, <cd>to be courteous or attentive to; to wait upon as a lover; to court.</cd></cs>

<syn>Syn. -- Care; heed; study; consideration; application; advertence; respect; regard.</syn>

<h1>Attentive</h1> <Xpage=99>

<hw>At*ten"tive</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Cf. F. <ets>attentif</ets>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Heedful; intent; observant; regarding with care or attention.</def>

<note>&hand; <i>Attentive</i> is applied to the senses of hearing and seeing, as, an <i>attentive</i> ear or eye; to the application of the mind, as in contemplation; or to the application of the mind, in every possible sense, as when a person is <i>attentive</i> to the words, and to the manner and matter, of a speaker at the same time.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Heedful of the comfort of others; courteous.</def>

<syn>Syn. -- Heedful; intent; observant; mindful; regardful; circumspect; watchful.</syn>

-- <wordforms><wf>At*ten"tive*ly</wf>, <tt>adv.</tt> -- <wf>At*ten"tive*ness</wf>, <tt>n.</tt></wordforms>

<h1>Attently</h1> <Xpage=99>

<hw>At*tent"ly</hw>, <tt>adv.</tt> <def>Attentively.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Barrow.</i>

<h1>Attenuant</h1> <Xpage=99>

<hw>At*ten"u*ant</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>attenuans</ets>, p. pr. of <ets>attenuare</ets>: cf. F. <ets>att\'82nuant</ets>. See <er>Attenuate</er>.]</ety> <def>Making thin, as fluids; diluting; rendering less dense and viscid; diluent.</def> -- <wordforms><tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Med.)</fld> <def>A medicine that thins or dilutes the fluids; a diluent.</def></wordforms>

<h1>Attenuate</h1> <Xpage=99>

<hw>At*ten"u*ate</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Attenuated</er> <tt>(#)</tt>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Attenuating</er> <tt>(#)</tt>.]</wordforms> <ety>[L. <ets>attenuatus</ets>, p. p. of <ets>attenuare</ets>; <ets>ad + tenuare</ets> to make thin, <ets>tenuis</ets> thin. See <er>Thin</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To make thin or slender, as by mechanical or chemical action upon inanimate objects, or by the effects of starvation, disease, etc., upon living bodies.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To make thin or less consistent; to render less viscid or dense; to rarefy. Specifically: To subtilize, as the humors of the body, or to break them into finer parts.</def>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To lessen the amount, force, or value of; to make less complex; to weaken.</def>

<blockquote>To undersell our rivals . . . has led the manufacturer to . . . <b>attenuate</b> his processes, in the allotment of tasks, to an extreme point. <i>I. Taylor.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>We may reject and reject till we <b>attenuate</b> history into sapless meagerness. <i>Sir F. Palgrave.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Attenuate</h1> <Xpage=99>

<hw>At*ten"u*ate</hw>, <tt>v. i.</tt> <def>To become thin, slender, or fine; to grow less; to lessen.</def>

<blockquote>The attention <b>attenuates</b> as its sphere contracts. <i>Coleridge.</i></blockquote>

<h1>Attenuate, Attenuated</h1> <Xpage=99>

<hw><hw>At*ten"u*ate</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>, <hw>At*ten"u*a`ted</hw> <tt>(#)</tt>,<hw> <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[L. <ets>attenuatus</ets>, p. p.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Made thin or slender.</def>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>Made thin or less viscid; rarefied.</def>

<i>Bacon.</i>