attachment

noun

uh-TACH-muhnt/əˈtæt͡ʃmənt/

8 meanings of attachment

1
nouncountable or uncountable
A strong feeling of love or closeness toward a person, animal, or thing.
Like a puppy that follows its owner everywhere because it loves them.
The child formed a deep attachment to her grandmother.
His attachment to the old family house made selling it hard.
Similaraffection, fondness, bond, devotion, love
Oppositeindifference, detachment, aversion, dislike
2
nouncountable
A computer file that you send together with an email or message.
Like slipping a photo inside the envelope along with your letter.
She forgot to add the attachment before sending the email.
Open the attachment to see the photos I took.
Note
3
nouncountable
An extra part that you add to a tool or machine to help it do a job.
Like a special tip you snap onto a hose to change how the water sprays.
The vacuum cleaner came with a narrow attachment for cleaning corners.
He bought a new attachment for his drill.
Similaraccessory, add-on, fitting, implement
4
noununcountable
The act of joining one thing onto another, either in a physical way or as a feeling.
Like gluing two pieces of paper together so they hold as one.
The attachment of the new wing took several months.
Her quick attachment to new friends surprised everyone.
Similarfastening, fixing, connection, joining
Oppositedetachment, removal, separation
Note
5
noununcountable
A strong need to have or rely on someone or something.
Like needing your morning drink so much that the day feels wrong without it.
His attachment to his phone made it hard to focus.
She worried about her growing attachment to caffeine.
Similardependence, reliance, dependency, addiction
Oppositeindependence
Note
6
nouncountable
The part or material that holds one thing onto another.
Like the hook that keeps a picture hanging on the wall.
The shelf's attachment to the wall came loose over time.
Check the attachment before you climb the ladder.
Similarconnection, fastening, fixing, joint, coupling
Note
7
nouncountable or uncountable
A legal way of taking someone's property to pay a debt ordered by a court.
Like the court putting a hold on your money until you pay what you owe.
The court approved the attachment of his bank account to cover the debt.
They feared the attachment of their property after the ruling.
Similarseizure, sequestration, garnishment, levy
Note
8
nouncountable or uncountable
The moment when a downward lightning channel links up with an upward spark from the ground.
Like two hands reaching out and finally touching to make a connection.
Scientists filmed the exact attachment of the lightning to the tower.
The attachment happens in a tiny fraction of a second.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From French "attachement". It can also be seen as "attach" plus "-ment".