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at‧tack1 S2 W1
1 an act of violence that is intended to hurt a person or damage a place
violence against somebody/something
[countable]2 the act of using weapons against an enemy in a war : 
The attack began at dawn.
in a war
[uncountable and countable]The attack began at dawn. attack on the attack on Pearl Harbor
the attack on Pearl Harbor3 a strong and direct criticism of someone or something
criticism
[uncountable and countable] be/come under attack (=be strongly criticized) The company has come under fierce attack for its decision to close the factory.
The company has come under fierce attack for its decision to close the factory. go on the attack (=start to criticize someone severely)
4 a sudden short period of suffering from an illness, especially an illness that you have often
illness
[countable]5 a short period of time when you suddenly feel extremely frightened or worried and cannot think normally or deal with the situation
emotion
[countable] attack of a sudden attack of nerves
a sudden attack of nerves6 actions that are intended to get rid of or stop something such as a system, a set of laws etc
attempt to stop something
[uncountable and countable] attack on The new measures were seen by many as an attack on the Scottish way of life.
The new measures were seen by many as an attack on the Scottish way of life.7
sport
a) [uncountable and countable] an attempt by a player or group of players to score goals or win points
b) British English [singular] the players in a team that are responsible for trying to score goals or win points [= offense AmE; ↪ defence]
8 when something such as a disease, insect, or chemical damages something : Unfortunately, the carved ceilings have suffered woodworm attack over the years.
damage
[uncountable and countable]Unfortunately, the carved ceilings have suffered woodworm attack over the years.
