attenuators
|at-ten-u-a-tors|
🇺🇸
/əˈtɛn.juˌeɪ.tərz/
🇬🇧
/əˈtɛn.juːeɪ.təz/
(attenuator)
make thinner / reduce strength
Etymology
'attenuator' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'attenuare,' where 'ad-' (later assimilated to 'at-') meant 'to/toward' and 'tenuare' (from 'tenuis') meant 'thin' or 'slender'.
'attenuator' changed from the Latin verb 'attenuare' (to make thin or weaken) through Late Latin/Neo-Latin and entered English as the related noun 'attenuator' (via scientific/technical usage) to denote something that causes attenuation.
Initially it meant 'to make thin' or 'to reduce in density/strength', but over time it evolved into the modern English noun meaning 'a device or factor that reduces intensity or amplitude.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
devices or components that reduce the amplitude, power, or intensity of a signal (electrical, acoustic, optical, etc.) without significantly distorting its waveform.
The technicians inserted attenuators into the line to prevent the receiver from overloading.
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Noun 2
things or factors that lessen the effect, force, or severity of something (figurative use).
Policy changes acted as attenuators to the economic shock.
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Last updated: 2025/11/15 17:14