Attack - Definition

n 1: (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons);
"the attack began at dawn" [syn: attack, onslaught,
onset, onrush]
2: an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with
a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"
3: intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the
Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack";
"don't give me any flak" [syn: fire, attack, flak,
flack, blast]
4: ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or
situation; "his approach to every problem is to draw up a
list of pros and cons"; "an attack on inflation"; "his plan
of attack was misguided" [syn: approach, attack, plan of
attack]
5: the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last year";
"they made an attempt on his life" [syn: attack, attempt]
6: a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase [syn:
attack, tone-beginning]
7: a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an
attack of diarrhea"
8: the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a
chemical agent); "the film was sensitive to attack by acids";
"open to attack by the elements"
9: strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my
work"
v 1: launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start
warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939
and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian
towns all week" [syn: attack, assail] [ant: defend]
2: attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning
paper attacked the new House Speaker" [syn: attack,
round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault]
3: take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs
attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to
attack" [syn: attack, aggress]
4: attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger
assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly"
[syn: assail, assault, set on, attack]
5: set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task;
"I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"
6: begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver";
"Rust is attacking the metal"