n.
Pronunciation: ə - ' tak
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle French attaquer, from Old Italian *estaccare to attach, from stacca stake, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English staca
Date: 1562
transitive verb
1 : to set upon or work against forcefully
2 : to assail with unfriendly or bitter words <a speech attack ing her political enemies>
3 : to begin to affect or to act on injuriously <plants attack ed by aphids>
4 : to set to work on < attack a problem>
5 : to threaten (a piece in chess) with immediate capture
intransitive verb : to make an attack
– at · tack · er noun
synonyms ATTACK , ASSAIL , ASSAULT , BOMBARD , STORM mean to make an onslaught upon. ATTACK implies taking the initiative in a struggle <plan to attack the town at dawn>. ASSAIL implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots < assailed the enemy with artillery fire>. ASSAULT suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught <commandos assaulted the building from all sides>. BOMBARD applies to attacking with bombs or shells < bombarded the city nightly>. STORM implies attempting to break into a defended position <preparing to storm the fortress>.