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ATTRITION
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("attrition" is a kind of...):
detrition; friction; rubbing (effort expended in moving one object over another with pressure)
Derivation:
attritional (relating to or caused by attrition)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A wearing down to weaken or destroy
Example:
a war of attrition
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("attrition" is a kind of...):
decrease; drop-off; lessening (a change downward)
Derivation:
attritional (relating to or caused by attrition)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation
Synonyms:
attrition; contriteness; contrition
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Hypernyms ("attrition" is a kind of...):
regret; rue; ruefulness; sorrow (sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment)
Sense 4
Meaning:
The wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice
Synonyms:
abrasion; attrition; detrition; grinding
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Hypernyms ("attrition" is a kind of...):
friction; rubbing (the resistance encountered when one body is moved in contact with another)
Derivation:
attritional (relating to or caused by attrition)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Erosion by friction
Synonyms:
abrasion; attrition; corrasion; detrition
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Hypernyms ("attrition" is a kind of...):
eating away; eroding; erosion; wearing; wearing away ((geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it))
Derivation:
attritional (relating to or caused by attrition)
