ATTACH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does attach mean? 

• ATTACH (verb)
  The verb ATTACH has 5 senses:

1. cause to be attached

2. be attached; be in contact with

3. become attached

4. create social or emotional ties

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

  Familiarity information: ATTACH used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ATTACH (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they attach    ... he / she / it attaches   
Past simple: attached   
Past participle: attached   
-ing form: attaching   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to be attached

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "attach" is one way to...):

connect; link; link up; tie (connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces)

Cause:

attach (become attached)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "attach"):

pin down; pin up (attach with or as if with a pin)

peg; peg down (fasten or secure with a wooden pin)

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

mount (attach to a support)

affix; stick on (attach to)

nail (attach something somewhere by means of nails)

hook up (connect or link)

clip (attach with a clip)

enter; infix; insert; introduce (put or introduce into something)

yoke (put a yoke on or join with a yoke)

harness; tackle (put a harness)

link; yoke (link with or as with a yoke)

saddle (put a saddle on)

label; mark; tag (attach a tag or label to)

limber; limber up (attach the limber)

tape (fasten or attach with tape)

fix; fixate (make fixed, stable or stationary)

tether (tie with a tether)

fasten (attach to)

hinge (attach with a hinge)

bell (attach a bell to)

band; ring (attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify)

couple; couple on; couple up (link together)

affix (attach or become attached to a stem word)

bind (make fast; tie or secure, with or as if with a rope)

catch; hitch (to hook or entangle)

append; hang on; tack; tack on; tag on (fix to; attach)

add on; affix; append; supplement (add to the very end)

glue; paste (join or attach with or as if with glue)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Antonym:

detach (cause to become detached or separated; take off)

Derivation:

attachable (capable of being fastened or added to something else)

attachment (the act of fastening things together)

attachment (the act of attaching or affixing something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be attached; be in contact with

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "attach" is one way to...):

adjoin; contact; meet; touch (be in direct physical contact with; make contact)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "attach"):

leech onto (admire boundlessly and follow around)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Also:

attach to (be part of)

Derivation:

attachable (capable of being fastened or added to something else)

attachment (a connection that fastens things together)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Become attached

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The spider's thread attached to the window sill

Hypernyms (to "attach" is one way to...):

conjoin; join (make contact or come together)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "attach"):

agglutinate (string together (morphemes in an agglutinating language))

spat (become permanently attached)

adhere; bind; bond; hold fast; stick; stick to (stick to firmly)

implant (become attached to and embedded in the uterus)

fasten (become fixed or fastened)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s to somebody
Somebody ----s PP

Antonym:

detach (come to be detached)

Also:

attach to (be present or associated with an event or entity)

Derivation:

attachable (capable of being fastened or added to something else)

attachment (a connection that fastens things together)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Create social or emotional ties

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

attach; bind; bond; tie

Context example:

The grandparents want to bond with the child

Hypernyms (to "attach" is one way to...):

relate (have or establish a relationship to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "attach"):

fixate (attach (oneself) to a person or thing in a neurotic way)

befriend (become friends with)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

attachment (faithful support for a cause or political party or religion)

attachment (a feeling of affection for a person or an institution)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

attach; confiscate; impound; seize; sequester

Context example:

The police confiscated the stolen artwork

Hypernyms (to "attach" is one way to...):

take (take into one's possession)

Verb group:

sequester (requisition forcibly, as of enemy property)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "attach"):

condemn (appropriate (property) for public use)

garnish; garnishee (take a debtor's wages on legal orders, such as for child support)

distrain (confiscate by distress)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

attachment (a writ authorizing the seizure of property that may be needed for the payment of a judgment in a judicial proceeding)

 Context examples 

“For God's sake, my dear Doctor,” said Mr. Wickfield again laying his irresolute hand upon the Doctor's arm, “don't attach too much weight to any suspicions I may have entertained.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Surprisingly, about 1% of the amino acid methionine was attached to the "wrong" tRNAs, or misacylated, in both cells in tissue culture and liver cells in a living mouse.

(Genes Can be Read in Different Ways, NIH, US)

The last resource, which includes online interventions, could be particularly appropriate, the WHO said, due to the stigma attached to mental health issues, which may prevent some young adults from seeking help.

(Half of mental health disorders arise in adolescence, SciDev.Net)

Amyloid-beta does attach itself to lipid molecules, however, which are sticky and insoluble.

(Brain cholesterol associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, University of Cambridge)

They also attached sets of artificial wings to juvenile ostriches about the same size as Caudipteryx.

(Scientific study suggests dinosaurs flapped their wings as they ran, Wikinews)

SUMOylation occurs when an enzyme attaches a molecular tag called a Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) to a protein, altering its activity and location in the cell.

(Hibernating ground squirrels provide clues to new stroke treatments, National Institutes of Health)

The researchers could only guess that the 186 eggs that were attached to the rocks faced the same challenges.

(Giant group of octopus moms discovered in the deep sea, National Science Foundation)

The research also suggests that any H2O present on the Moon isn’t loosely attached to the surface.

(On Second Thought, the Moon's Water May Be Widespread and Immobile, NASA)

To this hoisting tackle I could, if necessary, attach a second hoisting tackle.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He had, I knew, been very genuinely and devotedly attached to his father; and to lose him, and at such a time, was a bitter blow to him.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)