attribute

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attribute

  • /ˈæt.ɹɪ.bjuːt/ UK
  • /ˈæt.ɹɪˌbjut/ US
  • /əˈtɹɪb.juːt/ UK
  • /əˈtɹɪbˌjut/ US

Rhymes with -ætɹɪbjuːt, -ɪbjuːt

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Latin attributus.

noun attributes

  1. A characteristic or quality of a thing. His finest attribute is his kindness.
  2. An object that is considered typical of someone or some function, in particular as an artistic convention. The eagle and the bolt of lightning are attributes of Jove.
  3. A word that qualifies a noun.
  4. That which is predicated or affirmed of a subject; a predicate; an accident.
  5. An option or setting belonging to some object. This packet has its coherency attribute set to zero.
  6. A semantic item with which a method or other code element may be decorated. Properties can be marked as obsolete with an attribute, which will cause the compiler to generate a warning if they are used.
  7. dated A numeric value representing the colours of part of the screen display. […] you can only carry two objects, your attributes clash when you walk past multi-coloured objects and your enemies fly up and down from the ceiling.

verb attributes · attributing · attributed · attribute

  1. transitive To ascribe (something) to a given cause, reason etc.; to affix. For as this is the liquor of modern historians, nay, perhaps their muse, if we may believe the opinion of Butler, who attributes inspiration to ale, it ought likewise to be the potation of their readers, since every book ought to be read with the same spirit and in the same manner as it is writ.
  2. transitive To associate ownership or authorship of (something) to someone. This poem is attributed to Browning.

Similar: refer

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