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Dictionary definition for: Attack

1. (n) (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons) "the attack began at dawn"

2. (v) launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II" "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"

3. (n) a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea"

4. (v) attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"

5. (n) intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party" "the government has come under attack" "don''t give me any flak"

6. (v) take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night" "The visiting team started to attack"

7. (n) the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last year" "they made an attempt on his life"

8. (v) attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman" "Nightmares assailed him regularly"

9. (n) an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"

10. (v) set to work upon; turn one''s energies vigorously to a task; "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"

11. (n) the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent) "the film was sensitive to attack by acids" "open to attack by the elements"

12. (v) begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver" "Rust is attacking the metal"

13. (n) ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation; "his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons" "an attack on inflation" "his plan of attack was misguided"

14. (n) a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

15. (n) strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work"

WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.