Attenuate — At*ten u*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Attenuated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Attenuating}.] [L. attenuatus, p. p. of attenuare; ad + tenuare to make thin, tenuis thin. See {Thin}.] 1. To make thin or slender, as by mechanical or chemical action upon… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Attenuate — At*ten u*ate, v. i. To become thin, slender, or fine; to grow less; to lessen. [1913 Webster] The attention attenuates as its sphere contracts. Coleridge. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Attenuate — At*ten u*ate, Attenuated At*ten u*a ted, a. [L. attenuatus, p. p.] 1. Made thin or slender. [1913 Webster] 2. Made thin or less viscid; rarefied. Bacon. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
attenuate — (v.) to make thin, to make less, 1520s, from L. attenuatus enfeebled, weak, pp. of attenuare to make thin, lessen, diminish, from ad to (see AD (Cf. ad )) + tenuare make thin, from tenuis thin (see TENET (Cf … Etymology dictionary
attenuate — vb *thin, rarefy, dilute, extenuate Analogous words: *weaken, sap: reduce, lessen (see DECREASE): dissipate (see SCATTER): *contract, shrink, constrict, deflate Antonyms: enlarge: dilate: enrich Contrasted words: * … New Dictionary of Synonyms
attenuate — [v] weaken abate, constrict, contract, cripple, debilitate, deflate, disable, dissipate, enfeeble, extenuate, lessen, mitigate, sap, shrink, thin, undermine, vitiate; concept 240 Ant. expand, increase, intensify, strengthen … New thesaurus
attenuate — ► VERB 1) reduce the strength, effect, or value of. 2) make thin or thinner. DERIVATIVES attenuation noun. ORIGIN Latin attenuare make slender … English terms dictionary
attenuate — [ə ten′yo͞o āt΄; ] for adj. [, ə ten′yo͞oit, ə ten′yo͞oāt΄] vt. attenuated, attenuating [< L attenuatus, pp. of attenuare, to make thin < ad to + tenuare < tenuis, THIN] 1. to make slender or thin 2. to dilute or rarefy 3. to lessen in… … English World dictionary
Attenuate — To weaken, dilute, thin, reduce, weaken, diminish. The use of attenuate in medicine is not new. In the 16th century, eating dried figs was claimed to attenuate the body fluids. Now attenuate refers to procedures that weaken an agent of disease (a … Medical dictionary
attenuate — [[t]əte̱njueɪt[/t]] attenuates, attenuating, attenuated VERB To attenuate something means to reduce it or weaken it. [FORMAL] [V n] You could never eliminate risk, but preparation and training could attenuate it... [V ed] Theirs had been an… … English dictionary
