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attach

Syllabification: (at·tach)
Pronunciation: /əˈtaCH/
Translate attach | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of attach

verb

[with object]
  • 1fasten; join:he made certain that the trailer was securely attached to the van
  • fasten (a related document) to another, or to an e-mail:I attach a copy of the memo for your information
  • include (a condition) as part of an agreement:the Commission can attach appropriate conditions to the operation of the agreement
  • (attach oneself to) join (someone or something) without being invited:they were all too ready to attach themselves to you for the whole day
  • (usually be attached) appoint (someone) for special or temporary duties:I was attached to another department
  • 2 (attach something to) attribute importance or value to:he doesn’t attach too much importance to radical ideas
  • [no object] (attach to) (of importance or value) be attributed to:great importance attaches to the family role
  • 3 Law seize (a person’s property) by legal authority:the court attached his wages for child support

Derivatives

attachable

adjective

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'seize by legal authority'): from Old French atachier or estachier 'fasten, fix', based on an element of Germanic origin related to stake1; compare with attack

Spelling help

The ending of attach should be spelled -ach.

attach in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of attach in the British & World English dictionary
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