5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Attack  \At*tack"\,  v.  i. 
  To  make  an  onset  or  attack. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  2.  An  assault  upon  one's  feelings  or  reputation  with 
  unfriendly  or  bitter  words 
 
  3.  A  setting  to  work  upon  some  task,  etc 
 
  4.  An  access  of  disease;  a  fit  of  sickness. 
 
  5.  The  beginning  of  corrosive,  decomposing,  or  destructive 
  action  by  a  chemical  agent. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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. 
 
  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. 
 
  3.  To  set  to  work  upon  as  upon  a  task  or  problem,  or  some 
  object  of  labor  or  investigation. 
 
  4.  To  begin  to  affect;  to  begin  to  act  upon  injuriously  or 
  destructively;  to  begin  to  decompose  or  waste. 
 
  On  the  fourth  of  March  he  was  attacked  by  fever. 
  --Macaulay. 
 
  Hydrofluoric  acid  .  .  .  attacks  the  glass.  --B. 
  Stewart. 
 
  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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  attack 
  adj  :  used  in  an  attack;  "assault  weapons",  "attack  planes"  [syn: 
  {assault(a)},  {attack(a)}] 
  n  1:  the  beginning  of  an  offensive;  "the  attack  began  at  dawn" 
  [syn:  {onslaught},  {onset},  {onrush}] 
  2:  an  offensive  move  in  a  sport  or  game;  "they  won  the  game 
  with  a  10-hit  attack  in  the  9th  inning" 
  3:  intense  adverse  criticism;  "Clinton  directed  his  fire  at 
  Jesse  Helms"  [syn:  {fire},  {flak},  {blast}] 
  4:  a  formulation  adopted  in  tackling  a  problem;  "his  approach 
  to  every  problem  is  to  draw  up  a  list  of  pros  and  cons" 
  [syn:  {approach},  {plan  of  attack}] 
  5:  an  assault  on  someone  "they  made  an  attempt  on  his  life" 
  [syn:  {attempt}] 
  6:  a  decisive  manner  of  beginning  a  musical  tone  or  phrase 
  [syn:  {tone-beginning}] 
  7:  a  sudden  occurrence  of  an  uncontrollable  condition;  "an 
  attack  of  diarrhea" 
  8:  turning  your  attention  to  a  problem  or  a  job  etc.;  "his 
  attack  on  the  problem  was  misguided";  "he  did  not  make  a 
  direct  assault  on  her  affections"  [syn:  {assault}] 
  v  1:  launch  an  attack  or  assault  on  begin  hostilities  with  as 
  in  warfare;  "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  verbally,  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  visting  team  started 
  to  attack"  [syn:  {aggress}] 
  4:  attack  someone  physically  or  emotionally;  "The  mugger 
  assulted  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" 

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