Meaning of attach in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /əˈtætʃ/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent Play button

  1. Verb

    attach

    Etymology

    Middle English (in the sense ‘seize by legal authority’): from Old French atachier or estachier‘fasten, fix’, based on an element of Germanic origin related to stake; compare with attack

    Definitions

    1. cause to be attached

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  2. 2. be attached

    Examples

    • « be in contact with »

    Derived terms

  3. 3. become attached

    Examples

    • « The spider's thread attached to the window sill »

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

  4. 4. create social or emotional ties

    Examples

    • « The grandparents want to bond with the child »

    Derived terms

  5. 5. take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority

    Examples

    • « The FBI seized the drugs »
    • « The customs agents impounded the illegal shipment »
    • « The police confiscated the stolen artwork »

    Derived terms

Famous quotes

  • « I attach the greatest importance to an amplification of the peace efforts in the Middle East. I would also like to see a greater dialogue between the U.S. and the EU. »
    Francois Hollande
  • « It's amazing that for actors mostly, it's a risk to attach yourself to a film that you don't know whether or not it's going to even be made and if you sign on, in doing so, who else is going to be in the movie with you. »
    Elisha Cuthbert
  • « I am inclined to attach some importance to the new system of manufacturing and venture to throw it out with the hope of its receiving a full discussion among those who are most interestedin the subject. »
    Charles Babbage
  • « I wouldn't attach too much importance to these student riots. I remember when I was a student at the Sorbonne in Paris, I used to go out and riot occasionally. »
    John Foster Dulles
  • « Credit or debit cards, for starters, are nothing short of shoppers' Novocain. Even in the age of digital purchases and virtual money, we still attach a special value to dirty paper with pictures of presidents on it. Handing some of that to a cashier simply hurts more than handing over a little sliver of plastic. »
    Jeffrey Kluger

Browse dictionary