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attacking

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attacking


  2  definitions  found 
 
  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]: 
 
  attacking 
  adj  :  disposed  to  attack  [syn:  {assaultive},  {attacking(a)}] 




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