ATTEN'UATE, verb transitive [Latin attenuo, of ad and tenuo, to make thin; tenuis; Eng. thin, which see.] 1. To make thin or less consistent; to subtilize or break the humors of the body into finer parts; to render less viscid; opposed to condense, incrassate or thicken. 2. To comminute; to break or wear solid substances into finer or very minute parts. This uninterrupted motion must attenuate and wear away the hardest rocks. 3. To make slender; to reduce in thickness. ATTEN'UATE, adjective Made thin, or less viscid; made slender.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI