attacked

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Attack \At*tack"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attacked; p. pr. & vb. n. Attacking.] [F. attaquer, orig. another form of attacher to attack: cf. It. attacare to fasten, attack. See Attach, Tack a small nail.]

1.To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault. "Attack their lines." --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

2.To assail with unfriendly speech or writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by criticism or satire; to censure; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet. [1913 Webster]

3.To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some object of labor or investigation. [1913 Webster]

4.To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. [1913 Webster]

On the fourth of March he was attacked by fever.— Macaulay.[1913 Webster]

Hydrofluoric acid . . . attacks the glass.— B. Stewart.[1913 Webster]

Syn: To Attack, Assail, Assault, Invade.

Usage: These words all denote a violent onset; attack being the generic term, and the others specific forms of attack. To attack is to commence the onset; to assail is to make a sudden and violent attack, or to make repeated attacks; to assault (literally, to leap upon) is to attack physically by a had-to-hand approach or by unlawful and insulting violence; to invade is to enter by force on what belongs to another. Thus, a person may attack by offering violence of any kind; he may assail by means of missile weapons; he may assault by direct personal violence; a king may invade by marching an army into a country. Figuratively, we may say, men attack with argument or satire; they assail with abuse or reproaches; they may be assaulted by severe temptations; the rights of the people may be invaded by the encroachments of the crown. [1913 Webster]

attacked \at*tacked"\ adj. affected by disease.

Syn: infected. [WordNet 1.5]