attach

at|tach

W2S2 [əˈtætʃ] v

[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: atachier, estachier, from estache 'sharp post']

1.) [T]

to fasten or connect one object to another

= ↑fix attach sth to sth

▪ Attach a recent photograph to your application form.

▪ a small battery attached to a little loudspeaker

the attached form/cheque/leaflet etc

▪ Please fill in and return the attached reply slip.

2.) be attached to sb/sth

to like someone or something very much, because you have known them or had them for a long time

▪ It's easy to become attached to the children you work with.

3.) attach importance/significance etc to sth

to believe that something is important

▪ People attach too much importance to economic forecasts.

4.) [I and T]

if blame attaches or is attached to someone, they are responsible for something bad that happens

▪ No blame can be attached to Roy for the incident.

5.) [I and T]

if a quality, feeling, idea etc attaches or is attached to a person, thing, or event, it is connected with them

attach to

▪ It's easy to let the emotions attached to one situation spill over into others.

6.) be attached to sth

a) to work for part of a particular organization, especially for a short period of time

▪ He was attached to the foreign affairs department of a Japanese newspaper.

b) to be part of a bigger organization

▪ The Food Ministry is attached to the Ministry of Agriculture.

7.) [T]

to connect a document or ↑file to an email so that you can send them together

8.) attach yourself to sb

to join someone and spend a lot of time with them, often without being invited or welcome

▪ A young man from Canada had attached himself to Sam.

9.) attach a condition (to sth)

to allow something to happen, but only if someone agrees to do a particular thing or accept a particular idea

▪ When approving a merger, the commission can attach conditions.

10.) attach a label to sb/sth

to think of or describe someone or something as being a particular thing, especially in a very general way

▪ You can't really attach a label to this type of art.