aggress
[uh-gres]
- to commit the first act of hostility or offense; attack first.
- to begin to quarrel.
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- to behave aggressively toward; attack (often followed by upon): wild animals aggressing their prey.
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Origin of aggress
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for aggress
Contemporary Examples
They experience boredom, sickness, early deaths and they aggress, attacking and even killing human beings.
Historical Examples
If the body do not aggress, the spirit will not seek revenge.
aggress
- (intr) to attack first or begin a quarrel
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Word Origin
C16: from Medieval Latin aggressāre to attack, from Latin aggredī to attack, approach
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for aggress
v.
"attack," 1714, back-formation from aggression, but used earlier with a sense of "approach" (1570s) and in this sense from French aggresser, from Late Latin aggressare, frequentative of Latin aggredi "to approach, attack." Related: Aggressed; aggressing.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper