attenuate
Use Attenuate in a sentence
at·ten·u·ate
[v. uh-ten-yoo-eyt; adj. uh-ten-yoo-it, -eyt] verb, at·ten·u·at·ed, at·ten·u·at·ing, adjective 
yuˌeɪt; verb (used with object)
1.
to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quantity, or value: to attenuate desire.
2.
to make thin; make slender or fine.
3.
Bacteriology, Immunology. to render less virulent, as a strain of pathogenic virus or bacterium.
4.
Electronics. to decrease the amplitude of (an electronic signal).
verb (used without object)
5.
to become thin or fine; lessen.
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Attenuate
is a GRE word you need to know.
So is simper. Does it mean:
| a silly, self-conscious smile |
| insidious cunning in attaining a goal; crafty or artful deception; duplicity. |
adjective
6.
weakened; diminishing.
7.
Botany. tapering gradually to a narrow extremity.
Origin:
1520–30; < Latin attenuātus (past participle of attenuāre to thin, reduce). See at-, tenuis, -ate1
1520–30; < Latin attenuātus (past participle of attenuāre to thin, reduce). See at-, tenuis, -ate1
Related forms
o·ver·at·ten·u·ate, verb (used with object), o·ver·at·ten·u·at·ed, o·ver·at·ten·u·at·ing.
sub·at·ten·u·ate, adjective
sub·at·ten·u·at·ed, adjective
un·at·ten·u·at·ed, adjective
un·at·ten·u·at·ed·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To attenuate
Collins
World English Dictionary
| attenuate | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to weaken or become weak; reduce in size, strength, density, or value |
| 2. | to make or become thin or fine; extend |
| 3. | (tr) to make (a pathogenic bacterium, virus, etc) less virulent, as by culture in special media or exposure to heat |
| —adj | |
| 4. | diluted, weakened, slender, or reduced |
| 5. | botany tapering gradually to a point |
| [C16: from Latin attenuāre to weaken, from tenuis thin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
attenuate
"to make thin, to make less," 1520s, from L. attenuatus, pp. of attenuare "to make thin," from ad- "to" + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis "thin" (see tenet). Related: Attenuating (early 17c.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
attenuate at·ten·u·ate (ə-těn'y&oomacr;-āt')
v. at·ten·u·at·ed, at·ten·u·at·ing, at·ten·u·ates
To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken; diminish.
To make bacteria or viruses less virulent.
Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
Yes, earplugs may attenuate the effects to some degree.
Such statements not only mean little, but also attenuate the reader's interest in a potentially fascinating subject.
Radio astronomers have realized that no practical belt of dipoles would attenuate the incoming waves to any measurable extent.
Previous studies indicate that both reefs and forests may attenuate wave energy by as much as 90 percent.
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