Dictionary: AT-TEM'PER – AT-TEN'TION

a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |

1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220
221222223224225226

AT-TEM'PER, v.t. [L. attempero, of ad and tempero, to temper, mix, or moderate. See Temper.]

  1. To reduce, modify or moderate by mixture; as, to attemper heat by a cooling mixture, or spirit by diluting it with water.
  2. To soften, mollify or moderate; as, to attemper rigid justice with clemency.
  3. To mix in just proportion; to regulate; as, a mind well attempered with kindness and justice.
  4. To accommodate; to fit or make suitable. Arts attempered to the lyre. – Pope.

AT-TEM'PER-ACE, n.

Temperance. [Not used.] – Chaucer.

AT-TEM'PER-ATE, a. [L. attemperatus.]

Tempered; proportioned; suited. Hope must be proportioned and attemperate to the promise. – Hammond.

AT-TEM'PER-ATE, v.t.

To attemper. [Not in use.] – Hammond.

AT-TEM'PER-ED, pp.

Reduced in quality; moderated; softened; well mixed; suited.

AT-TEM'PER-ING, ppr.

Moderating in quality; softening; mixing in due proportion; making suitable.

AT-TEM'PER-LY, adv.

In a temperate manner. [Not in use.] – Chaucer.

AT-TEM'PER-MENT, n.

A tempering or due proportion.

AT-TEMPT', n.

An essay; trial or endeavor; an attack; or an effort to gain a point. – Bacon.

AT-TEMPT', v.t. [Fr. attenter, from L. attento, to attempt, of ad and tento, to try; Arm. attempti. The L. tento is from the same root as tendo, to strain; Gr. τεινω. Hence, the literal sense is to strain, urge, stretch.]

  1. To make an effort to effect some object; to make trial or experiment; to try; to endeavor; to use exertion for any purpose; as, to attempt to sing; to attempt a bold flight.
  2. To attack; to make an effort upon; as, to attempt the enemy's camp. This verb is not always followed by an object, and appears to be intransitive; but some object is understood, or a verb in the infinitive follows in the place of an object; as, he attempted to speak.

AT-TEMPT'A-BLE, a.

That may be attempted, tried or attacked; liable to an attempt, or attack. – Shak.

AT-TEMPT'ED, pp.

Essayed; tried; attacked.

AT-TEMPT'ER, n.

One who attempts, or attacks. – Milton.

AT-TEMPT'ING, ppr.

Trying; essaying; making an effort to gain a point; attacking.

AT-TEND', v.i.

  1. To listen; to regard with attention; followed by to. Attend to the voice of my supplication. Ps. lxxxvi. Hence much used in the imperative, attend!
  2. To regard with observation, and correspondent practice; as, my son, attend to my words. Hence, to regard with compliance. He hath attended to the voice of my prayer. – Ps. lxvi.
  3. To fix the attention upon, as an object of pursuit; to be busy or engaged in; as, to attend to the study of the Scriptures.
  4. To wait on; to accompany or be present, in pursuance of duty; with on or upon; as, to attend upon a committee; to attend upon business. Hence,
  5. To wait on, in service or worship; to serve. That ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. 1 Cor. vii.
  6. To stay; to delay. [Obs.] For this perfection she must yet attend, / Till to her Maker she espoused be. – Davies.
  7. To wait; to be within call. – Spenser.

AT-TEND', v.t. [L. attendo; Fr. attendre, to wait, stay, hold, expect; Sp. atender; It attendere; L. ad and tendo, to stretch, to tend. See Tend.]

  1. To go with, or accompany, as a companion, minister or servant.
  2. To be present; to accompany or be united to; as, a cold attended with fever.
  3. To be present for some duty, implying charge or oversight; to wait on; as, the physician or the nurse attends the sick.
  4. To be present in business; to be in company from curiosity, or from some connection in affairs; as, lawyers or spectators attend a court.
  5. To be consequent to, from connection of cause; as, a measure attended with ill effects.
  6. To await; to remain, abide or be in store for; as, happiness or misery attends us after death.
  7. To wait for; to lie in wait. – Shak.
  8. To wait or stay for. Three days I promised to attend my doom. – Dryden.
  9. To accompany with solicitude; to regard. Their hunger thus appeased, their care attends The doubtful fortune of their absent friends. – Dryden.
  10. To regard; to fix the mind upon. The pilot doth not attend the unskillful words of the passenger. – Sidney. This is not now a legitimate sense. To express this idea, we now use the verb intransitively, with to, attend to.
  11. To expect. [Not in use.] – Raleigh.

AT-TEND'ANCE, n. [Fr.]

  1. The act of waiting on, or serving. Of which no man gave attendance at the altar. – Heb. vii.
  2. A waiting on; a being present on business of any kind; as, the attendance of witnesses or persons in court; attendance of members of the legislature.
  3. Service; ministry. Receive attendance. – Shak.
  4. The persons attending; a train; a retinue. – Milton.
  5. Attention; regard; careful application of mind. Give attendance to reading. 1 Tim. iv.
  6. Expectation. [Obs.] – Hooker.

AT-TEND'ANT, a.

  1. Accompanying; being present, or in the train. Other suns with their attendant moons. – Milton.
  2. Accompanying, connected with, or immediately following, as consequential; as, intemperance, with all its attendant evils.
  3. In law, depending on or owing service to; as, the wife attendant to the heir. – Cowel.

AT-TEND'ANT, n.

  1. One who attends or accompanies, in any character whatever, as a friend, companion, minister or servant; one who belongs to the train. – Dryden.
  2. One who is present; as, an attendant at or upon a meeting.
  3. One who owes service to or depends on another. – Cowel.
  4. That which accompanies or is consequent to. A love of fame, the attendant of noble spirits. – Pope. Shame is the attendant of vice. – Anon.

AT-TEND'ED, pp.

Accompanied; having attendants; served; waited on.

AT-TEND'ER, n.

Ono who attends; a companion; an associate. [Little used.]

AT-TEND'ING, ppr.

Going with; accompanying; waiting on; superintending or taking care of; being present; immediately consequent to; serving; listening; regarding with care.

AT-TENT', a.

Attentive. – 2 Chron. vi.

AT-TENT'ATES, n.

Proceedings in a court of judicature, after an inhibition is decreed. – Ayliffe.

AT-TEN'TION, n.

  1. The act of attending or heeding; the due application of the ear to sounds, or of the mind to objects presented to its contemplation. [Literally, a stretching toward.] They say the tongues of dying men, / Enforce attention like deep harmony. – Shak.
  2. Act of civility, or courtesy; as, attention to a stranger.