attach

[ uh-tach ]

verb (used with object)

1. to fasten or affix; join; connect:

   to attach a photograph to an application with a staple.

   Synonyms: annex, add, append, subjoin

   Antonyms: detach

2. to join in action or function; make part of:

   to attach oneself to a group.

3. Military. to place on temporary duty with or in assistance to a military unit.
4. to include as a quality or condition of something:

   One proviso is attached to this legacy.

5. to assign or attribute:

   to attach significance to a gesture.

6. to bind by ties of affection or regard:

   You always attach yourself to people who end up hurting you.

7. Law. to take (persons or property) by legal authority.
8. Obsolete. to lay hold of; seize.

verb (used without object)

1. to adhere; pertain; belong (usually followed by to or upon ):

   No blame attaches to him.

attach

/ əˈtætʃ /

verb

1. to join, fasten, or connect
2. reflexive or passive to become associated with or join, as in a business or other venture

   he attached himself to the expedition

3. intrfoll byto to be inherent (in) or connected (with)

   responsibility attaches to the job

4. to attribute or ascribe

   to attach importance to an event

5. to include or append, esp as a condition

   a proviso is attached to the contract

6. usually passive military to place on temporary duty with another unit
7. usually passive to put (a member of an organization) to work in a different unit or agency, either with an expectation of reverting to, or while retaining some part of, the original working arrangement
8. to appoint officially
9. law to arrest or take (a person, property, etc) with lawful authority
10. obsolete.
    to seize

Derived Forms

• atˈtacher, noun
• atˈtachable, adjective

Other Words From

• at·tacha·ble adjective
• at·tacher noun
• reat·tach verb
• reat·tacha·ble adjective
• unat·tacha·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of attach¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English atachen, from Anglo-French atacher “to seize,” Old French atachier “to fasten,” alteration of estachier “to fasten with or to a stake,” from estach(e), from Frankish stakka “stake”; stake ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of attach¹

C14: from Old French atachier to fasten, changed from estachier to fasten with a stake, from estache stake ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see no strings attached .

Example Sentences

Speaking in 2019, a Russian reserve colonel, Viktor Baranets, said: "If we were using this animal for spying, do you really think we'd attach a mobile phone number with the message 'Please call this number'?"

From BBC

Where the mussels attach and grow, they can create problems for all sorts of infrastructure, including docks and water intakes, requiring costly efforts to remove them.

From Los Angeles Times

You simply attach the 7-inch water-resistant pouch — available in multiple colors — to your backpack’s strap, and suddenly you have an easily accessible pocket where you can keep your phone, satellite communicator or whatever else you’d like to have on hand.

From Los Angeles Times

They’re lightweight, attach to your forefinger and fit comfortably in your palm, so you can carry other items and nearly forget they’re there until you need them.

From Los Angeles Times

"Being an artist gives me a sense of who I am, a sense of identity. I was lost. It’s given me something to attach to."

From BBC

Related Words

• add
• adhere
• affix
• connect
• fix
• hook up
• link
• secure
• stick
• tie