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definitions

attrit

[ uh-trit ]
/ əˈtrɪt /

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

  1. attribute,
  2. attributes,
  3. attribution,
  4. attribution theory,
  5. attributive,
  6. attrite,
  7. attrition,
  8. attu,
  9. attucks,
  10. 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

/ (əˈtrɪt) /

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

v.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper