at ‧ tach S2 W2 AC /əˈtætʃ/ BrE AmE verb
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ attachment , ↑ detachment ; adjective : attached ≠ ↑ unattached ≠ ↑ detached , ↑ detachable ; verb : ↑ attach ≠ ↑ detach ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: atachier , estachier , from estache 'sharp post' ]
1 . [transitive] to fasten or connect one object to another SYN fix
attach something to something
Attach a recent photograph to your application form.
a small battery attached to a little loudspeaker
the attached form/cheque/leaflet etc
Please fill in and return the attached reply slip.
2 . be attached to somebody/something to like someone or something very much, because you have known them or had them for a long time:
It’s easy to become attached to the children you work with.
3 . attach importance/significance etc to something to believe that something is important:
People attach too much importance to economic forecasts.
4 . [intransitive and transitive] if blame attaches or is attached to someone, they are responsible for something bad that happens:
No blame can be attached to Roy for the incident.
5 . [intransitive and transitive] if a quality, feeling, idea etc attaches or is attached to a person, thing, or event, it is connected with them
attach to
It’s easy to let the emotions attached to one situation spill over into others.
6 . be attached to something
a) to work for part of a particular organization, especially for a short period of time:
He was attached to the foreign affairs department of a Japanese newspaper.
b) to be part of a bigger organization:
The Food Ministry is attached to the Ministry of Agriculture.
7 . [transitive] to connect a document or ↑ file to an email so that you can send them together ⇨ attachment
8 . attach yourself to somebody to join someone and spend a lot of time with them, often without being invited or welcome:
A young man from Canada had attached himself to Sam.
9 . attach a condition (to something) to allow something to happen, but only if someone agrees to do a particular thing or accept a particular idea:
When approving a merger, the commission can attach conditions.
10 . attach a label to somebody/something to think of or describe someone or something as being a particular thing, especially in a very general way:
You can’t really attach a label to this type of art.