attack

/əˈtæk/

noun 15
verb 10
adjective 1
forms 8
phrases 1

noun15

•
an attempt to hurt, kill or cause damage to an enemy
- From 1906 to 1960, there were forty-six recorded shark attacks, half of which were fatal. — 1983
Any of several specific maneuvers, skills, or special abilities that a character can use to inflict damage against opponents.
•
A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle.
- The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations.
An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system.
•
An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.
- They claimed the censorship of the article was an attack on free speech.
•
The sudden onset of a disease or condition.
- I've had an attack of the flu.
An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease.
(India) Short for heart attack.
Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side.
The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team.
•
The onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset.
- Eric Reed was a curious choice as pianist, since his busy Petersonian attack is the antithesis of Lewis's, but he acquitted himself with panache, […] — 2004
The amount of time taken 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).
•
(informal) The beginning of active operations on anything.
- Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry.
Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net.
The initial sensory impact of a wine.

verb10

•
To apply violent force to someone or something.
- This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened.
•
To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar).
- She published an article attacking the recent pay cuts.
To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket.
To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets.
To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly.
•
To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede.
- Six successive defeats had left them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table but, clearly under instructions to attack from the outset, Bolton started far the brighter. — 2011
To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders.
•
To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon.
- We’ll have dinner before we attack the biology homework.
- I attacked the meal with a hearty appetite.
•
To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.
- On the fourth of March he was attacked by fever. — 1849
(Of a chemical species) To approach a chemical species or bond in order to form a bond with it.

adjective1

Designed or kept for the purpose of confrontation.

forms

attacked · attackt · attackted · attackedst · attacking · attacketh · attacks · attackest

Phrases with attack

line of attack
An approach to addressing a problem.