First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
attach
verb at·tach \ə-ˈtach\
: to fasten or join one thing to another
: to be or become joined or connected
: to associate or connect one thing with another
Full Definition of ATTACH
transitive verb
1
: to take by legal authority especially under a writ <attached the property>
2
a : to bring (oneself) into an association <attached herself to their cause> b : to assign (an individual or unit in the military) temporarily
3
: to bind by personal ties (as of affection or sympathy) <was strongly attached to his family>
4
: to make fast (as by tying or gluing) <attach a label to a package>
5
: to associate especially as a property or an attribute : ascribe <attached great importance to public opinion polls>
intransitive verb
See attach defined for English-language learners
See attach defined for kids
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Origin of ATTACH
Middle English, from Anglo-French attacher, alteration of Old French estachier, from estache stake, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English staca stake
Synonym Discussion of ATTACH
fasten, fix, attach, affix mean to make something stay firmly in place. fasten implies an action such as tying, buttoning, nailing, locking, or otherwise securing <fasten the reins to a post>. fix usually implies a driving in, implanting, or embedding <fixed the stake in the ground>. attach suggests a connecting or uniting by a bond, link, or tie in order to keep things together <attach the W-2 form here>. affix implies an imposing of one thing on another by gluing, impressing, or nailing <affix your address label here>.
Rhymes with ATTACH
ATTACHABLE Defined for Kids
attach
verb at·tach \ə-ˈtach\
at·tachedat·tach·ing
Definition of ATTACH for Kids
1
: to fasten or join one thing to another <The boy attached a bell to his bicycle.>
2
: to bind by feelings of affection <… Marty's got awful attached to that dog … — Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh>
3
: to think of as belonging to something <Attach no importance to his remark.>
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