attrit

[uh-trit]

verb (used with object), at·trit·ted, at·trit·ting.

to wear down (an opposing military force) by numerical superiority in troops or firepower.

Nearby words

attribute,
attributes,
attribution,
attribution theory,
attributive,
attrite,
attrition,
attu,
attucks,
attucks, crispus

Origin of attrit

First recorded in 1750–60; back formation from attrition

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for attrit

attrit

verb -trits, -tritting or -tritted US slang (tr)

to wear down or dispose of gradually

to kill

Word Origin for attrit

C18: back formation from attrition

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

Word Origin and History for attrit

attrit

1956, U.S. Air Force back-formation from attrition which attained currency during the Vietnam War. (A 17c. attempt at a verb produced attrite). Related: Attrited; attriting.