attenuate
/əˈtenjuːˌeɪt/uh-TEN-yoo-ayt
/əˈtɛnjuˌeɪt/uh-TEN-yoo-ayt
Meaningto make thin
Common meaning: to make thin or weak
- atto, towards (form of ad-)
- tenuthin, slightLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1856 · scan
- ateverb or adjective ending: to make, having
‘to, towards (form of ad-)’ + ‘thin, slight’ → attenuate
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin tenuis ‘thin, slight’.
Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry tenuis, p. 1856 · dictionary scan
Roots
- tenuis Latin “thin, slight”
Related words
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