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ATTRITIVE

 - 4 dictionary results

at⋅tri⋅tion

  [uh-trish-uhn]
Use ATTRITIVE in a Sentence
–noun
1. a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away.
2. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, esp. as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.
3. a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced.
4. the act of rubbing against something; friction.
5. a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion.
6. Theology. imperfect contrition. See under contrition (def. 2).
Origin:
1325–75; ME < L attrītiōn- (s. of attrītiō) friction. See attrite, -ion

Related forms:
at⋅tri⋅tion⋅al, adjective
at⋅tri⋅tive  [uh-trahy-tiv] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Word Origin & History

attrition 
1543, "abrasion, a scraping," from L. attritionem (nom. attritio), lit. "a rubbing against," noun of action from attritus pp. of atterere "to wear, rub away," from ad- "to" + terere "to rub." The earliest sense in Eng. is from Scholastic theology (c.1374), "sorrow for sin merely out of fear of punishment," a minor irritation, and thus less than contrition. The sense of "wearing down an enemy's strength" is a World War I coinage (1914). Attrit (v.) was a 1956 U.S. Air Force back-formation, which attained currency during the Vietnam War. (A 17c. attempt at a verb produced attrite).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: at·tri·tion
Pronunciation: &-'trish-&n
Function: noun
: the act of rubbing together; also : the act ofwearing or grinding down by friction <attrition of teeth> —at·tri·tion·al /-'trish-n&l, -'trish-&n-&l/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

attrition at·tri·tion (ə-trĭsh'ən)
n.
A wearing away by friction or rubbing, such as the loss of tooth structure caused by abrasive foods or grinding of the teeth.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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