ATTACK

[at.tack] vb [MF attaquer, fr. (assumed) OIt estaccare to attach, fr. stacca stake, of Gmc origin; akin to OE staca] vt (1600) 1: to set upon or work against forcefully

2: to assail with unfriendly or bitter words

3: to begin to affect or to act on injuriously

4: to set to work on

5: to threaten (a piece in chess) with immediate capture ~ vi: to make an attack -- at.tack.er n syn 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".

[2]attack n (1661) 1: the act of attacking with physical force or unfriendly words: assault

2: a belligerent or antagonistic action 3 a: a fit of sickness; esp: an active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease b: a period of being strongly affected by something (as a desire or mood)

4. a: an offensive or scoring action "won the game with an eight-hit ~" b: offensive players or the positions taken up by them

5: the setting to work on some undertaking "made a new ~ on the problem"

6: the beginning of destructive action (as by a chemical agent) 7: the act or manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase