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A Writer's Dictionary:

attenuate Definition


Dictionary Home » Words Starting with A » atone ... attractive » attenuate


attenuate
verb attenuated, attenuating
    tr & intr
    1. To make or become thin and weak.
      Thesaurus: weaken, dilute, thin out, adulterate, debase, water down, reduce; Antonym: thicken.
    2. To reduce the strength or value of something.
      Thesaurus: weaken, dilute, water down, reduce; Antonym: intensify.
    3. physics.
      Said of sound, radiation, electric current, etc: to decrease in intensity as a result of absorption or scattering on passing through a medium.
    4. medicine.
      During the production of certain vaccines: to treat bacteria or viruses in such a way as to diminish greatly their capacity to cause disease, while retaining their ability to evoke an immune response.
Etymology: 16c: from Latin attenuare to make thin, from tenuis thin.



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