Chapter 88

At¶taÏghan (?), n. See Yataghan. AtÏtain¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attained (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Attaining.] [Of. atteinen, atteignen, ?tainen, OF. ateindre, ataindre, F. atteindre, fr. L. attingere; ad + tangere to touch, reach. See Tangent, and cf. Attinge, Attaint.] 1. To achieve or accomplish, that is, to reach by efforts; to gain; to compass; as, to attain rest. Is he wise who hopes to attain the end without the means? Abp. Tillotson. 2. To gain or obtain possession of; to acquire. [Obs. with a material object.] Chaucer. 3. To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain. [Obs.] Not well attaining his meaning. Fuller. 4. To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at. ½Canaan he now attains.¸ Milton. 5. To overtake. [Obs.] Bacon. 6. To reach in excellence or degree; to equal. Syn. - To Attain, Obtain, Procure. Attain always implies an effort toward an object. Hence it is not synonymous with obtain and procure, which do not necessarily imply such effort or motion. We procure or obtain a thing by purchase or loan, and we obtain by inheritance, but we do not attain it by such means. AtÏtain¶, v. i. 1. To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach. If by any means they might attain to Phenice. Acts xxvii. 12. Nor nearer might the dogs attain. Sir W. Scott. To see your trees attain to the dignity of timber. Cowper. Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this. J. R. Green. 2. To come or arrive, by an effort of mind. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it. Ps. cxxxix. 6. AtÏtain¶, n. Attainment. [Obs.] AtÏtain·aÏbil¶iÏty (?), n. The quality of being attainable; attainbleness. AtÏtain¶aÏble (?), a. 1. Capable of being attained or reached by efforts of the mind or body; capable of being compassed or accomplished by efforts directed to the object. The highest pitch of perfection attainable in this life. Addison. 2. Obtainable. [Obs.] General Howe would not permit the purchase of those articles [clothes and blankets] in Philadelphia, and they were not attainable in the country. Marshall. AtÏtain¶aÏbleÏness, n. The quality of being attainable; attainability. AtÏtain¶der (?), n. [OF. ataindre, ateindre, to accuse, convict. Attainder is often erroneously referred to F. teindre tie stain. See Attaint, Attain.] 1. The act of attainting, or the state of being attainted; the extinction of the civil rights and capacities of a person, consequent upon sentence of death or outlawry; as, an act of attainder. Abbott. µ Formerly attainder was the inseparable consequence of a judicial or legislative sentence for treason or felony, and involved the forfeiture of all the real and personal property of the condemned person, and such ½corruption of blood¸ that he could neither receive nor transmit by inheritance, nor could he sue or testify in any court, or claim any legal protection or rights. In England attainders are now abolished, and in the United States the Constitution provides that no bill of attainder shall be passed; and no attainder of treason (in consequence of a judicial sentence) shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted. 2. A stain or staining; state of being in dishonor or condemnation. [Obs.] He lived from all attainder of suspect. Shak. Bill of ~, a bill brought into, or passed by, a legislative body, condemning a person to death or outlawry, and ~, without judicial sentence. AtÏtain¶ment (?), n. 1. The act of attaining; the act of arriving at or reaching; hence, the act of obtaining by efforts. The attainment of every desired object. Sir W. Jones. 2. That which is attained to, or obtained by exertion; acquirement; acquisition; (pl.), mental acquirements; knowledge; as, literary and scientific attainments. AtÏtaint¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Attainting.] [OE. atteynten to convict, fr. atteynt, OF. ateint, p. p. of ateindre, ataindre. The meanings 3, 4, 5, and 6 were influenced by a supposed connection with taint. See Attain, Attainder.] 1. To attain; to get act; to hit. [Obs.] 2. (Old Law) To find guilty; to convict; Ð said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict. [Obs.] Upon sufficient proof attainted of some open act by men of his own condition. Blackstone. 3. (Law) To subject (a person) to the legal condition formerly resulting from a sentence of death or outlawry, pronounced in respect of treason or felony; to affect by attainder. No person shall be attainted of high treason where corruption of blood is incurred, but by the oath of two witnesses. Stat. 7 & 8 Wm. III. 4. To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act. [Archaic] 5. To affect or infect, as with physical or mental disease or with moral contagion; to taint or corrupt. My tender youth was never yet attaint With any passion of inflaming love. Shak. 6. To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy. For so exceeding shone his glistring ray, That Ph?bus' golden face it did attaint. Spenser. Lest she with blame her honor should attaint. Spenser. AtÏtaint¶, p. p. Attainted; corrupted. [Obs.] Shak. AtÏtaint¶, n. [OF. attainte. See Attaint, v.] 1. A touch or hit. Sir W. Scott. 2. (Far.) A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching. White. 3. (Law) A writ which lies after judgment, to inquire whether a jury has given a false verdict in any court of record; also, the convicting of the jury so tried. Bouvier. 4. A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint. Shak. 5. An infecting influence. [R.] Shak. AtÏtain¶ment (?), n. Attainder; attainture; conviction. AtÏtain¶ture (?), n. Attainder; disgrace. At¶tal (?), n. Same as Attle. AtÏtame¶ (?), v. t. [OF. atamer, from Latin. See Attaminate.] 1. To pierce; to attack. [Obs.] 2. To broach; to begin. And right anon his tale he hath attamed. Chaucer. AtÏtam¶iÏnate (?), v. t. [L. attaminare; ad + root of tangere. See Contaminate.] To corrupt; to defile; to contaminate. [Obs.] Blount. At¶tar (?), n. [Per. 'atar perfume, essence, Ar. 'itr, fr. 'atara to smell sweet. Cf. Otto.] A fragrant essential oil; esp., a volatile and highly fragrant essential oil obtained from the petals of roses. [Also written otto and ottar.] AtÏtask¶ (?), v. t. [Pref. aÏ + task.] To take to task; to blame. Shak. AtÏtaste (?), v. t. [Pref. aÏ + taste.] To taste or cause to taste. [Obs.] Chaucer. At¶te (?). At the. [Obs.] Chaucer. AtÏtem¶per (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attempered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Attempering.] [OF. atemprer, fr. L. attemperare; ad + temperare to soften, temper. See Temper, and cf. Attemperate.] 1. To reduce, modify, or moderate, by mixture; to temper; to regulate, as temperature. If sweet with bitter... were not attempered still. Trench. 2. To soften, mollify, or moderate; to soothe; to temper; as, to attemper rigid justice with clemency. 3. To mix in just proportion; to regulate; as, a mind well attempered with kindness and justice. 4. To accommodate; to make suitable; to adapt. Arts... attempered to the lyre. Pope. µ This word is now not much used, the verb temper taking its place. AtÏtem¶perÏaÏment (?), n. [OF. attemprement.] A tempering, or mixing in due proportion. AtÏtem¶perÏance (?), n. [Cf. OF. atemprance.] Temperance; attemperament. [Obs.] Chaucer. AtÏtem¶perÏate (?), a. [L. attemperatus, p. p. of attemperare. See Attemper.] Tempered; proportioned; properly adapted. Hope must be... attemperate to the promise. Hammond. AtÏtem¶perÏate (?), v. t. To attemper. [Archaic] AtÏtem·perÏa¶tion (?), n. The act of attempering or regulating. [Archaic] Bacon. AtÏtem¶perÏly, adv. Temperately. [Obs.] Chaucer. AtÏtem¶perÏment (?), n. Attemperament. AtÏtempt¶ (?; 215), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attempted; p. pr. & vb. n. Attempting.] [OF. atenter, also spelt atempter, F. attenter, fr. L. attentare to ~; ad + tentare, temptare, to touch, try, v. intens. of tendere to stretch. See Tempt, and cf. Attend.] 1. To make trial or experiment of; to try; to endeavor to do or perform (some action); to assay; as, to attempt to sing; to attempt a bold flight. Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose. Longfellow. 2. To try to move, by entreaty, by afflictions, or by temptations; to tempt. [Obs. or Archaic]] It made the laughter of an afternoon That Vivien should attempt the blameless king. Thackeray. 3. To try to win, subdue, or overcome; as, one who attempts the virtue of a woman. Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further: Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute. Shak. 4. To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force; as, to attempt the enemy's camp. Without attempting his adversary's life. Motley. Syn. - See Try. AtÐtempt¶, v. i. To make an ~; Ð with upon. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne. AtÏtempt¶, n. A essay, trial, or endeavor; an undertaking; an attack, or an effort to gain a point; esp. an unsuccessful, as contrasted with a successful, effort. By his blindness maimed for high attempts. Milton. Attempt to commit a crime (Law), such an intentional preparatory act as will apparently result, if not extrinsically hindered, in a crime which it was designed to effect. Wharton. Syn. - Attempt, Endeavor, Effort, Exertion, Trial. These words agree in the idea of calling forth our powers into action. Trial is the generic term; it denotes a putting forth of one's powers with a view to determine what they can accomplish; as, to make trial of one's strength. An attempt is always directed to some definite and specific object; as, ½The attempt, and not the deed, confounds us.¸ Shak. Am endeavor is a continued ~; as, ½His high endeavor and his glad success.¸ Cowper. Effort is a specific putting forth of strength in order to carry out an ~. Exertion is the putting forth or active exercise of any faculty or power. ½It admits of all degrees of effort and even natural action without effort.¸ C. J. Smith. See Try. AtÏtemp¶aÏble (?), a.ÿCapable of being attempted, tried, or attacked. Shak. AtÏtemp¶er (?; 215), n. 1. One who attempts; one who essays anything. 2. An assailant; also, a temper. [Obs.] AtÏtempt¶ive (?), a. Disposed to attempt; adventurous. [Obs.] Daniel. AtÏtend¶ (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attended; p. pr. & vb. n. Attending.] [OE. atenden, OF. atendre, F. attendre, to expect, to wait, fr. L. attendre to stretch, (sc. animum), to apply the mind to; ad + tendere to stretch. See Tend.] 1. To direct the attention to; to fix the mind upon; to give heed to; to regard. [Obs.] The diligent pilot in a dangerous tempest doth not attend the unskillful words of the passenger. Sir P. Sidney. 2. To care for; to look after; to take charge of; to watch over. 3. To go or stay with, as a companion, nurse, or servant; to visit professionally, as a physician; to accompany or follow in order to do service; to escort; to wait on; to serve. The fifth had charge sick persons to attend. Spenser. Attends the emperor in his royal court. Shak. With a sore heart and a gloomy brow, he prepared to attend William thither. Macaulay. 4. To be present with; to accompany; to be united or consequent to; as, a measure attended with ill effects. What cares must then attend the toiling swain. Dryden. 5. To be present at; as, to attend church, school, a concert, a business meeting. 6. To wait for; to await; to remain, abide, or be in store for. [Obs.] The state that attends all men after this. Locke. Three days I promised to attend my doom. Dryden.

Syn. - To Attend, Mind, Regard, Heed, Notice. Attend is generic, the rest are specific terms. To mind is to ~ so that it may not be forgotten; to regard is to look on a thing as of importance; to heed is to ~ to a thing from a principle of caution; to notice is to think on that which strikes the senses. Crabb. See Accompany. AtÏtend¶ (?), v. i. 1. To apply the mind, or pay attention, with a view to perceive, understand, or comply; to pay regard; to heed; to listen; Ð usually followed by to. Attend to the voice of my supplications. Ps. lxxxvi. 6. Man can not at the same time attend to two objects. Jer. Taylor. 2. To accompany or be present or near at hand, in pursuance of duty; to be ready for service; to wait or be in waiting; Ð often followed by on or upon. He was required to attend upon the committee. Clarendon. 3. (with to) To take charge of; to look after; as, to attend to a matter of business. 4. To wait; to stay; to delay. [Obs.] For this perfection she must yet attend, Till to her Maker she espoused be. Sir J. Davies. Syn. - To Attend, Listen, Hearken. We attend with a view to hear and learn; we listen with fixed attention, in order to hear correctly, or to consider what has been said; we hearken when we listen with a willing mind, and in reference to obeying. AtÏtend¶ance (?), n. [OE. attendance, OF. atendance, fr. atendre, F. attendre. See Attend, v. t.] 1. Attention; regard; careful application. [Obs.] Till I come, give attendance to reading. 1 Tim. iv. 13. 2. The act of attending; state of being in waiting; service; ministry; the fact of being present; presence. Constant attendance at church three times a day. Fielding. 3. Waiting for; expectation. [Obs.] Languishing attendance and expectation of death. Hooker. 4. The persons attending; a retinue; attendants. If your stray attendance by yet lodged. Milton. AtÏtend¶anÏcy (?), n. The quality of attending or accompanying; attendance; an attendant. [Obs.] AtÏtend¶ant (?), a. [F. attendant, p. pr. of attendre. See Attend, v. t.] 1. Being present, or in the train; accompanying; in waiting. From the attendant flotilla rang notes triumph. Sir W. Scott. Cherub and Seraph... attendant on their Lord. Milton. 2. Accompanying, connected with, or immediately following, as consequential; consequent; as, intemperance with all its attendant evils. The natural melancholy attendant upon his situation added to the gloom of the owner of the mansion. Sir W. Scott. 3. (Law) Depending on, or owing duty or service to; as, the widow attendant to the heir. Cowell. Attendant keys (Mus.), the keys or scales most nearly related to, or having most in common with, the principal key; those, namely, of its fifth above, or dominant, its fifth below (fourth above), or subdominant, and its relative minor or major. AtÏtend¶ant, n. 1. One who attends or accompanies in any character whatever, as a friend, companion, servant, agent, or suitor. ½A train of attendants.¸ Hallam. 2. One who is present and takes part in the proceedings; as, an attendant at a meeting. 3. That which accompanies; a concomitant. [A] sense of fame, the attendant of noble spirits. Pope. 4. (Law) One who owes duty or service to, or depends on, another. Cowell. AtÏtend¶eÏment (?), n. Intent. [Obs.] Spenser. AtÏtend¶er (?), n. One who, or that which, attends. AtÏtend¶ment (?), n. [Cf. OF. atendement.] An attendant circumstance. [Obs.] The uncomfortable attendments of hell. Sir T. Browne. AtÏtent¶ (?), a. [L. attentus, p. p. of attendere. See Attend, v. t.] Attentive; heedful. [Archaic] Let thine ears be attent unto the prayer. 2 Chron. vi. 40. AtÏtent¶, n. Attention; heed. [Obs.] Spenser. AtÏten¶tate (?), AtÏten¶tat (?), } n. [L. attentatum, pl. attentata, fr. attentare to attempt: cf. F. attentat criminal attempt. See Attempt.] 1. An attempt; an assault. [Obs.] Bacon. 2. (Law) (a) A proceeding in a court of judicature, after an inhibition is decreed. (b) Any step wrongly innovated or attempted in a suit by an inferior judge. AtÏten¶tion (?), n. [L. attentio: cf. F. attention.] 1. The act or state of attending or heeding; the application of the mind to any object of sense, representation, or thought; notice; exclusive or special consideration; earnest consideration, thought, or regard; obedient or affectionate heed; the supposed power or faculty of attending.

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