From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
attack
n 1: (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons);
"the attack began at dawn" [syn: onslaught, onset,
onrush]
2: a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an
attack of diarrhea"
3: intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the
Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack";
"don't give me any flak" [syn: fire, flak, flack,
blast]
4: the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last
year"; "they made an attempt on his life" [syn: attempt]
5: an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game
with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"
6: 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"
7: 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" [syn: approach, {plan of
attack}]
8: a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase
[syn: tone-beginning]
9: strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my
work"
v 1: 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" [syn: assail] [ant: defend]
2: attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the
left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" [syn:
round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault]
3: take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs
attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started
to attack" [syn: aggress]
4: attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger
assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly"
[syn: assail, assault, set on]
5: set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task;
"I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"
6: begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver";
"Rust is attacking the metal"
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Appel \Ap`pel"\, n. [F., prop., a call. See Appeal, n.]
(Fencing)
A tap or stamp of the foot as a warning of intent to attack;
-- called also attack.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Attack \At*tack"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attacked; p. pr. & vb.
n. Attacking.] [F. attaquer, orig. another form of attacher
to attack: cf. It. attacare to fasten, attack. See Attach,
Tack a small nail.]
1. To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and
arms; to assault. "Attack their lines." --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
2. 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, to
attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet.
[1913 Webster]
3. To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some
object of labor or investigation.
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4. To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or
destructively; to begin to decompose or waste.
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On the fourth of March he was attacked by fever.
--Macaulay.
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Hydrofluoric acid . . . attacks the glass. --B.
Stewart.
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Syn: To Attack, Assail, Assault, Invade.
Usage: These words all denote a violent onset; attack being
the generic term, and the others specific forms of
attack. To attack is to commence the onset; to assail
is to make a sudden and violent attack, or to make
repeated attacks; to assault (literally, to leap upon)
is to attack physically by a had-to-hand approach or
by unlawful and insulting violence; to invade is to
enter by force on what belongs to another. Thus, a
person may attack by offering violence of any kind; he
may assail by means of missile weapons; he may assault
by direct personal violence; a king may invade by
marching an army into a country. Figuratively, we may
say, men attack with argument or satire; they assail
with abuse or reproaches; they may be assaulted by
severe temptations; the rights of the people may be
invaded by the encroachments of the crown.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Attack \At*tack"\, v. i.
To make an onset or attack.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Attack \At*tack"\, n. [Cf. F. attaque.]
1. The act of attacking, or falling on with force or
violence; an onset; an assault; -- opposed to defense.
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2. An assault upon one's feelings or reputation with
unfriendly or bitter words.
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3. A setting to work upon some task, etc.
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4. An access of disease; a fit of sickness.
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5. The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive
action, by a chemical agent.
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