Standard Lemma guide

attach

verb · 13 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /əˈtæt͡ʃ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ætʃ
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 T AE1 CH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To fasten, to join to (literally and figuratively).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • You need to attach the carabiner to your harness.
  • An officer is attached to a certain regiment, company, or ship.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: connect, annex, affix, unite, accouple, assemble, associate, attach, bewed, bind, clasp, clinch, combine, conglomerate, conglutinate, conjoin, construct, couple, entwine, fay, fix, graft, hitch, hook, inosculate, interlink, join, joint, knit, knot, link, marry, piece together, piecen, pinion, put together, splice, wed, yoke

Antonyms: detach, unfasten, disengage, separate, decouple, disconnect, rip off, tear off, unconnect, uncouple, unhitch

2

verb

Meaning 2

To adhere; to be attached.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cling, stick, adhere, attach, bond, cleave, cohere, conglutinate, glue, hug, stick together, stick with

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To include an attachment with a communication (especially an email or other electronic communication).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I've attached the contract to this email.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To come into legal operation in connection with anything; to vest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Dower will attach.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To win the heart of; to connect by ties of love or self-interest; to attract; to fasten or bind by moral influence; with to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • attached to a friend; attaching others to us by wealth or flattery

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To connect, in a figurative sense; to ascribe or attribute; to affix; with to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • to attach great importance to a particular circumstance
  • Some of the guilt must attach to the parents.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chalk up to, draw, impute, accredit, ascribe, attach, attribute, charge, lay, put down to, repose

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To take, seize, or lay hold of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To arrest, seize.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

be attached; be in contact with

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: touch, adjoin, meet, contact

Narrower terms: leech onto

10

verb

Meaning 10

become attached

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The spider's thread attached to the window sill

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: detach

Broader terms: join, conjoin

Narrower terms: agglutinate, implant, fasten, adhere, hold fast, bond, bind, stick, stick to, spat

11

verb

Meaning 11

cause to be attached

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: detach

Broader terms: connect, link, tie, link up

Narrower terms: fixate, fix, tether, fasten, hinge, bell, ring, band, couple, couple on, couple up, affix, bind, hitch, catch, append, tag on, tack on, tack, hang on, add on, supplement, tape, glue, paste, pin down, pin up, peg, peg down, secure, mount, stick on, nail, hook up, clip, insert, infix, enter, introduce, yoke, harness, tackle, link, saddle, tag, label, mark, limber, limber up

12

verb

Meaning 12

take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The FBI seized the drugs
  • The customs agents impounded the illegal shipment
  • The police confiscated the stolen artwork

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: impound, sequester, confiscate, seize

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: take

Narrower terms: condemn, garnishee, garnish, distrain

13

verb

Meaning 13

create social or emotional ties

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The grandparents want to bond with the child

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bind, tie, bond

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relate

Narrower terms: fixate, befriend

History

Etymology

From Middle English attachen, from Old French atachier, variant of estachier (“bind”), derived from estache (“stick”), from Frankish *stakkā, *stakō (“stick”), from Proto-Germanic *stakô (“pole, bar, stick, stake”). Doublet of attack. More at stake, stack. Displaced native Old English þīedan.

Across languages

Translations

91 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رَبَطَ (rabaṭa) — to fasten, to join to
  • Armenian: հոդել (hodel) — to fasten, to join to
  • Azerbaijani: qoşmaq — to fasten, to join to
  • Bengali: আটকানো (aṭkanō) — to fasten, to join to
  • Bengali: লাগানো (laganō) — to fasten, to join to
  • Bulgarian: закрепвам (zakrepvam) — to fasten, to join to
  • Bulgarian: прикрепвам (prikrepvam) — to fasten, to join to
  • Cherokee: ᎦᏌᏁᎾᏛᏍᎦ (gasanenadvsga) — to fasten, to join to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 附上 (fùshàng) — to fasten, to join to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 附 (fù) — to fasten, to join to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 附筆 /附笔 (fùbǐ) — to fasten, to join to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 附加 (fùjiā) — to fasten, to join to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 附有 (fùyǒu) — to fasten, to join to
  • Czech: připojit — to fasten, to join to
  • Czech: přiložit — to fasten, to join to
  • Czech: připevnit — to fasten, to join to
  • Czech: přichytit se — to fasten, to join to
  • Dutch: vastmaken — to fasten, to join to
  • Esperanto: kroĉi — to fasten, to join to
  • Esperanto: alligi — to fasten, to join to
  • Estonian: kaasama — to fasten, to join to
  • Finnish: liittää — to fasten, to join to
  • French: attacher — to fasten, to join to
  • Galician: unir — to fasten, to join to
  • German: anbringen — to fasten, to join to
  • Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐍆𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (haftjan) — to fasten, to join to
  • Greek: επισυνάπτω (episynápto) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ancient Greek: ἐξάπτω (exáptō) — to fasten, to join to
  • Haitian Creole: tache — to fasten, to join to
  • Hebrew: חיבר (khibér) — to fasten, to join to
  • Hungarian: csatol — to fasten, to join to
  • Hungarian: kapcsol — to fasten, to join to
  • Ido: atachar — to fasten, to join to
  • Irish: ceangail — to fasten, to join to
  • Irish: greamaigh — to fasten, to join to
  • Italian: legare — to fasten, to join to
  • Italian: appiccare — to fasten, to join to
  • Japanese: 付ける (tsukeru) — to fasten, to join to
  • Japanese: 添付する (tenpu surú) — to fasten, to join to
  • Korean: 첨부하다 (cheombuhada) — to fasten, to join to
  • Korean: 붙이다 (buchida) — to fasten, to join to
  • Latin: adiciō — to fasten, to join to
  • Latin: applicō — to fasten, to join to
  • Latin: apō — to fasten, to join to
  • Latin: illigō — to fasten, to join to
  • Latin: nectō — to fasten, to join to
  • Malayalam: ഘടിപ്പിക്കുക (ghaṭippikkuka) — to fasten, to join to
  • Māori: whakapiri — to fasten, to join to
  • Māori: whakapiripiri — to fasten, to join to
  • Māori: whakamau — to fasten, to join to
  • Māori: whakarapa — to fasten, to join to
  • Māori: aropiri — to fasten, to join to
  • Māori: tautara — to fasten, to join to
  • Khiamniungan Naga: já — to fasten, to join to
  • Piedmontese: taché — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: przytwierdzać — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: przytwierdzić — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: umocowywać — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: umocować — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: zamocowywać impf zamocować — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: mocować — to fasten, to join to
  • Polish: przymocowywać impf przymocować — to fasten, to join to
  • Portuguese: anexar — to fasten, to join to
  • Quechua: watay — to fasten, to join to
  • Romanian: lega — to fasten, to join to
  • Romanian: atașa — to fasten, to join to
  • Romanian: anexa — to fasten, to join to
  • Russian: прикрепля́ть (prikrepljátʹ) — to fasten, to join to
  • Russian: прикрепи́ть (prikrepítʹ) — to fasten, to join to
  • Spanish: adjuntar — to fasten, to join to
  • Spanish: atachar — to fasten, to join to
  • Spanish: atachear — to fasten, to join to
  • Spanish: adosar — to fasten, to join to
  • Swedish: fästa — to fasten, to join to
  • Swedish: sätta fast — to fasten, to join to
  • Swedish: bifoga — to fasten, to join to
  • Swedish: vidfoga — to fasten, to join to
  • Thai: ติด (dtìt) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ottoman Turkish: طاقمق (takmak) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: прикрі́плювати (prykrípljuvaty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: прикріпля́ти (prykripljáty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: прикріпи́ти (prykripýty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: причі́плювати (pryčípljuvaty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: причіпля́ти (pryčipljáty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: причепи́ти (pryčepýty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: приє́днувати (pryjédnuvaty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: приєдна́ти (pryjednáty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: прив'я́зувати (pryvʺjázuvaty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Ukrainian: прив'яза́ти (pryvʺjazáty) — to fasten, to join to
  • Russian: заде́рживать (zadérživatʹ) — to arrest, seize
  • Russian: задержа́ть (zaderžátʹ) — to arrest, seize
Real reading context

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