Attenuate

Attenuate
To weaken, dilute, thin, reduce, weaken, diminish. The use of "attenuate" in medicine is not new. In the 16th century, eating dried figs was claimed to attenuate the body fluids. Now "attenuate" refers to procedures that weaken an agent of disease (a pathogen). An attenuated virus is a weakened, less vigorous virus. A vaccine against a viral disease can be made from an attenuated, less virulent strain of the virus, a virus capable of stimulating an immune response and creating immunity but not causing illness. The word "attenuate" derives from a combination of the Latin prefix "ad-" meaning "to" or "toward" and "tenuis" meaning "thin."
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To dilute, thin, reduce, weaken, diminish. [L. at-tenuo, pp. -tenuatus, to make thin or weak, fr. tenuis, thin]

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at·ten·u·ate ə-'ten-yə-.wāt vt, -at·ed; -at·ing to reduce the severity of (a disease) or virulence or vitality of (a pathogenic agent) <a procedure to \attenuate severe diabetes> <attenuated bacilli>

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at·ten·u·ate (ə-tenґu-āt) [L. attenuare to thin] 1. to render thin. 2. to render less virulent; see attenuation (def. 2).

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Attenuate — At*ten u*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Attenuated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Attenuating}.] [L. attenuatus, p. p. of attenuare; ad + tenuare to make thin, tenuis thin. See {Thin}.] 1. To make thin or slender, as by mechanical or chemical action upon… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • attenuate — I verb attenuare, bate, constrict, constringe, contract, curtail, debilitate, decrease, deflate, devitalize, diminish, diminish in effect, extenuare, extenuate, lessen, lighten, make thin, narrow, reduce, reduce in intensity, reduce in strength,… …   Law dictionary

  • Attenuate — At*ten u*ate, v. i. To become thin, slender, or fine; to grow less; to lessen. [1913 Webster] The attention attenuates as its sphere contracts. Coleridge. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Attenuate — At*ten u*ate, Attenuated At*ten u*a ted, a. [L. attenuatus, p. p.] 1. Made thin or slender. [1913 Webster] 2. Made thin or less viscid; rarefied. Bacon. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • attenuate — (v.) to make thin, to make less, 1520s, from L. attenuatus enfeebled, weak, pp. of attenuare to make thin, lessen, diminish, from ad to (see AD (Cf. ad )) + tenuare make thin, from tenuis thin (see TENET (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • attenuate — vb *thin, rarefy, dilute, extenuate Analogous words: *weaken, sap: reduce, lessen (see DECREASE): dissipate (see SCATTER): *contract, shrink, constrict, deflate Antonyms: enlarge: dilate: enrich Contrasted words: * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • attenuate — [v] weaken abate, constrict, contract, cripple, debilitate, deflate, disable, dissipate, enfeeble, extenuate, lessen, mitigate, sap, shrink, thin, undermine, vitiate; concept 240 Ant. expand, increase, intensify, strengthen …   New thesaurus

  • attenuate — ► VERB 1) reduce the strength, effect, or value of. 2) make thin or thinner. DERIVATIVES attenuation noun. ORIGIN Latin attenuare make slender …   English terms dictionary

  • attenuate — [ə ten′yo͞o āt΄; ] for adj. [, ə ten′yo͞oit, ə ten′yo͞oāt΄] vt. attenuated, attenuating [< L attenuatus, pp. of attenuare, to make thin < ad to + tenuare < tenuis, THIN] 1. to make slender or thin 2. to dilute or rarefy 3. to lessen in… …   English World dictionary

  • attenuate — [[t]əte̱njueɪt[/t]] attenuates, attenuating, attenuated VERB To attenuate something means to reduce it or weaken it. [FORMAL] [V n] You could never eliminate risk, but preparation and training could attenuate it... [V ed] Theirs had been an… …   English dictionary

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