Attack

[imp. & p. p. ATTACKED; p. pr. & vb. n. ATTACKING.] [Fr. attaquer, It. attaccare, to fasten, to attack; Sp. & Pg. atacar, to attack, to fasten. See ATTACH.]

1. To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault. “Attack their lines.” Dryden.
2. To fall upon with unfriendly words or writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by satire, calumny, or criticism; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet.
3. (Chem.) To begin to dissolve, or decompose, by chemical agents.

Syn.—To ATTACK, ASSAIL, ASSAULT, INVADE. These words all denote a violent onset; attack being the generic term, and the others specific forms of attack. To attack is to commence the onset; to assail is to make a sudden and violent attack; to assault (literally, to leap upon) is to attack with still greater vehemence; to invade is to enter by force on what belongs to another. Thus, a person may attack by offering violence of any kind; he may assail by means of missile weapons; he may assault by direct personal violence; a king may invade by marching an army into a country. Figuratively, we may say, men attack with argument or satire; they assail with abuse or reproaches; they may be assaulted by severe temptations; the rights of the people may be invaded by the encroachments of the crown.