attacks

Noun

attack (plural attacks)

1. An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.
   • From 1906 to 1960, there were forty-six recorded shark attacks, half of which were fatal.1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 161
   1. Any of several specific maneuvers, skills, or special abilities that a character can use to inflict damage against opponents.
      • Combat in Mimesis Online is nice and simple. You click on your target […] and then keep right-clicking your chosen attack from the drop down menu. Every time you right click on the attack, your character will swing, shoot, etc.2002 March, Aaron Butler, “Mimesis Online (PC)”, in GameSpy.com, archived from the original on 16 Dec 2002
2. An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault.
   • “I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn’t I ? Why didn’t I telephone ? Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I’d no wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. …”1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad
3. A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle.
   • The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations.
4. (broadly, informal) The beginning of active operations on anything.
   • Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry.
5. An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system.
   • birthday attack; denial-of-service attack

See all 25 meanings of attack