attenuation
[ uh-ten-yoo-ey-shuhn ]
/ əˌtɛn yuˈeɪ ʃən /
Save This Word!
noun
the act of attenuating or the state of being attenuated.
the process by which a virus, bacterium, etc., changes under laboratory conditions to become harmless or less virulent.
Physics. a decrease in a property, as energy, per unit area of a wave or a beam of particles, occurring as the distance from the source increases as a result of absorption, scattering, spreading in three dimensions, etc.
QUIZ
SPRINT TO THE FINISH WITH THIS OLYMPICS QUIZ!
Compete in our Olympics quiz to see if you can take home the gold medal in Olympics knowledge.
Question 1 of 10
Where was the Olympics first held?
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Origin of attenuation
OTHER WORDS FROM attenuation
sub·at·ten·u·a·tion, nounWords nearby attenuation
attentively, attenuant, attenuate, attenuated, attenuated virus, attenuation, attenuator, attercop, attest, attestation, attested
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use attenuation in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for attenuation
attenuation
/ (əˌtɛnjʊˈeɪʃən) /
noun
the act of attenuating or the state of being attenuated
the loss of energy suffered by radiation as it passes through matter, esp as a result of absorption or scattering
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for attenuation
attenuation
[ ə-tĕn′yōō-ā′shən ]
n.
A dilution, thinning, or weakening of a substance, especially a reduction in the virulence of a pathogen through repeated inoculation, growth in a different culture medium, or exposure to heat, light, air, or other weakening agents.
The energy loss of an ultrasonic beam as it passes through a material.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.