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to fasten or affix; join; connect:
to attach a photograph to an application with a staple.
to join in action or function; make part of:
to attach oneself to a group.
military. to place on temporary duty with or in -ssistance to a military unit.
to include as a quality or condition of something:
one proviso is attached to this legacy.
to -ssign or attribute:
to attach significance to a gesture.
to bind by ties of affection or regard:
you always attach yourself to people who end up hurting you.
law. to take (persons or property) by legal authority.
obsolete. to lay hold of; seize.
to adhere; pertain; belong (usually followed by to or upon):
no blame attaches to him.
contemporary examples

roth says lautner is attaching himself to too many projects—including one of roth’s—that don’t have completed scripts yet.
is he sabotaging his career? kim masters march 8, 2010

more members of the twitterverse are coopting the hashtag and attaching it to concerns that seem relatively trivial.
#yesallwomen has jumped the shark emily shire may 27, 2014

to further complicate things, i insisted on attaching myself as the screenwriter.
jonathan tropper: how i write noah charney july 2, 2013

suddenly, the scarf (or whatever was attaching it from above) slipped, and she fell onto the concrete headfirst.
thrills and too many spills: the dangers of the circus marina watts may 4, 2014

in 1990, he committed suicide by attaching himself to the exhaust of a car in a garage in las vegas.
the man who created disco beauty isabel wilkinson march 30, 2010

historical examples

this it effects partly by attaching silken threads from the protuberance at the base to the surrounding surface of the leaf.
an introduction to entomology: vol. i (of 4) william kirby

attaching a cord to this, he let it drift to the sh-r-, driven by the fresh wind.
king philip john s. c. (john stevens cabot) abbott

at convenient intervals have outlets for attaching the hoses leading to the torch.
the automobile storage battery o. a. witte

the attaching of a stone was necessary, in their experience; it was necessary now.
astounding stories of super-science, may, 1930 various

he is an inept critic who thrives by attaching his name to great reputations.
the critical game john albert macy

verb (mainly transitive)
to join, fasten, or connect
(reflexive or p-ssive) to become -ssociated with or join, as in a business or other venture: he attached himself to the expedition
(intransitive) foll by to. to be inherent (in) or connected (with): responsibility attaches to the job
to attribute or ascribe: to attach importance to an event
to include or append, esp as a condition: a proviso is attached to the contract
(usually p-ssive) (military) to place on temporary duty with another unit
(usually p-ssive) to put (a member of an organization) to work in a different unit or agency, either with an expectation of reverting to, or while retaining some part of, the original working arrangement
to appoint officially
(law) to arrest or take (a person, property, etc) with lawful authority
(obsolete) to seize
v.

mid-14c. (mid-13c. in anglo-latin), “to take or seize (property or goods) by law,” a legal term, from old french atachier (11c.), earlier estachier “to attach, fix; stake up, support” (modern french attacher, also cf. italian attaccare), perhaps from a- “to” + frankish -stakon “a post, stake” or a similar germanic word (see stake (n.)). meaning “to fasten, affix, connect” is from c.1400. related: attached; attaching.
see: no strings attached