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to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quant-ty, or value:
to attenuate desire.
to make thin; make slender or fine.
bacteriology, immunology. to render less virulent, as a strain of pathogenic virus or bacterium.
electronics. to decrease the amplitude of (an electronic signal).
to become thin or fine; lessen.
weakened; diminishing.
botany. tapering gradually to a narrow extremity.
historical examples

in the art of attenuating great reputations anatole france has had few superiors.
egoists james huneker

she did me the honour to accept of a pony, but the attenuating circ-mstances are all purely imaginary.
diary and notes of horace templeton, esq. charles james lever

the idea of attenuating the virus used for inoculation, and of making the effects minimal, was not his.
a history of epidemics in britain, volume ii (of 2) charles creighton

the spell that for a moment her beauty had cast over him when first she had appeared had been attenuating.
the trampling of the lilies rafael sabatini

the philosopher next tried his established method of domesticating, or attenuating, the poison.
notable events of the nineteenth century various

the result is of course that by attenuating his force he only accentuates his inferiority.
some principles of maritime strategy julian stafford corbett

another process for attenuating the atmosphere over the surface of fluids during evaporation is by the action of an air-pump.
cooley’s cyclopdia of practical receipts and collateral information in the arts, manufactures, professions, and trades…, sixth edition, volume i arnold cooley

the air should be hot and dry, and her diet hot and attenuating.
the works of aristotle the famous philosopher anonymous

but in that hour which seemed pure essence, with no attenuating sound or touch, he kept on up the hill toward jenny’s house.
christmas zona gale

red port is strong and astringent, but white port and spanish wines are stimulating and attenuating.
the cook and housekeeper’s complete and universal dictionary; including a system of modern cookery, in all its various branches, mary eaton

verb (əˈtɛnjʊˌeɪt)
to weaken or become weak; reduce in size, strength, density, or value
to make or become thin or fine; extend
(transitive) to make (a pathogenic bacterium, virus, etc) less virulent, as by culture in special media or exposure to heat
adjective (əˈtɛnjʊɪt; -ˌeɪt)
diluted, weakened, slender, or reduced
(botany) tapering gradually to a point
v.

“to make thin, to make less,” 1520s, from latin attenuatus “enfeebled, weak,” past participle of attenuare “to make thin, lessen, diminish,” from ad- “to” (see ad-) + tenuare “make thin,” from tenuis “thin” (see tenet). related: attenuated; attenuating. earlier was middle english attenuen “to make thin (in consistency),” early 15c.

attenuate at·ten·u·ate (ə-těn’yōō-āt’)
v. at·ten·u·at·ed, at·ten·u·at·ing, at·ten·u·ates

to reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken; diminish.

to make bacteria or viruses less virulent.

adj.
reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.