attenuate

t. [From Lat. attenuatus, pa. par. of Lat. attenuo = to make thin: ad = to, and tenuo = to make thin; tenuis = thin. (THIN.) The Fr. attenuer, Sp. atenuar, Port. attenuar, Ital. attenuare (pa. par. attenuato ), correspond in signification to our English word.] L Lit.: To make thin. 1. Of liquids : To make thin in the sense of le dense; to render more watery and of le consistence. "Of such concernment too is drink and food Tin cra ate, or attenuate the blood." Dryden: Lucretius, bk. iv. 2. Of solids: To render finer, as a wire which is filed away or partially di olved in an acid. "It is of the nature of acids to di olve or attenuate; and of alkalies to precipitate or incra ate."-Newton: Optics. IL Fig .: To le en, to diminish. ". for this fatal sect hath justled her out of divers large regions in Africk, in Tartary, and other places, and attenuated their number in Asia." Howell: Letters , ii. 10. at-ten-u-ate, a. [From Lat. attenuatus, or Ital. attenuato.] [ATTENUATE, v.] A. Ordinary Language: 1. Of liquids: Made thin in consistency; rendered le dense. "Vivification ever consist eth in spirits attenuata which the cold doth congeal and coagulate." -Bacon. 2. Of solids: Rendered finer or more slender. B. Bot . Made thin or slender; tapering. ( Loudon .) at-těn-u-ā-těd, pa. par. & a. [ATTENUATE,' ν.] at-ten-u-ā-ting, pr . par . [ATTENUATE, v.] at-ten-u-ā-tion, s. [In Fr. attenuation; Sp. atenuacion ; Port. attenuação ; Ital. at tenuazione; Lat. attenuatio .] 1. The act of rendering thinner; the state of being rendered thinner. Used specially (a) of a liquid or gas rendered le dense. wort, 604. the diminished density, or attenuation of the "-Fownes: Manual of Chem., 10th ed., p "Chiming with a hammer upon the outside of a bell, the sound will be according to the inward concave of the bell; whereas the elision or attenuation of the air can be only between the hammer and the outside of the bell."- Bacon . Or (6) of a solid rendered finer or more slender in form, as, for instance, ductile wire drawn out to a greater or le extent of tenuity. 12. A person or thing attenuated. "I am ground even to an attenuation."-Donne: Devotions, p. 517. IMG:content-0876.jpg:[blocks in formation] att or, at or, ater = poison; matter, pus. In Sw. etter Dan. edder.] Poison venom; pus from an uicer. "And nithful neddre, loth and lither, And freten wile he mai li Sal gliden on hise brest nether mai liuen, And atter on is tunge cliuen." Story of Gen. & Exod . (ed. Morris), 369-72. *ăt'-ter-cõppe, * at-tir-coppe, *at'tyr-cõppe, * ǎt'-ter-cob, * ǎt'-tercăp, *ăd-er-cop, *ă-dyr-cop (yr=ir), s. [A.S. attorcoppa = a spider; from att or = poison, and coppa , prob. = spider. Cf. Dut. spinne - cop = spider.] [COBWEB.] I. Literally : 1. A spider. (Prompt. Parv., .) "Araneus; an adercop or a spynner." Vocab . Stanb ., Sig. D, 2 b. (Boucher.) 2. Le properly: A spider's web. "I sees her kronkin astride o' th' bawk, her haircu ful of attercops."-Craven Dialogues , p. 228. (S. in Boucher .) II. Figuratively: A peevish, ill-natured person. "Thou yreful attercap , Pylat, a post at a, Judas, Jew's janglor, Lollard law reate." Ever Green, ii., 74. ( Boucher .) Trench says that it was first in general use among the English race; then it became confined to a portion of them, including those of the Irish pale and of the north of England, whilst now it is confined to these last. (Trench: Eng. Past and Present , p. 84.)