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attenuate

Syllabification: (at·ten·u·ate)

Definition of attenuate

[with object]

reduce the force, effect, or value of:her intolerance was attenuated by a rather unexpected liberalism
reduce the amplitude of (a signal, electric current, or other oscillation).
(usually as adjective attenuated) reduce the virulence of (a pathogenic organism or vaccine):attenuated strains of rabies virus
reduce in thickness; make thin:the trees are attenuated from being grown too close together

rare

Derivatives

mid 16th century: from Latin attenuat- 'made slender', from the verb attenuare, from ad- 'to' + tenuare 'make thin' (from tenuis 'thin')

Definition of attenuate in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words