attenuation

at·ten·u·ate  (-tny-t)

v. at·ten·u·at·ed, at·ten·u·at·ing, at·ten·u·ates

v.tr.

1. To make slender, fine, or small: The drought attenuated the river to a narrow channel.

2. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: Medicine attenuated the fever's effect.

3. To lessen the density of; rarefy.

4. Biology To make (bacteria or viruses) less virulent.

5. Electronics To reduce (the amplitude of an electrical signal) with little or no distortion.

v.intr.

To become thin, weak, or fine.

adj. (-y-t)

1. Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.

2. Botany Gradually tapering to a slender point.

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[Latin attenure, attenut- : ad-, ad- + tenure, to make thin (from tenuis, thin; see ten- in Indo-European roots).]

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at·tenu·ation n.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	attenuation - weakening in force or intensity; "attenuation in the volume of the sound" fading weakening - becoming weaker
	2.	attenuation - the property of something that has been weakened or reduced in thickness or density weakness - the property of lacking physical or mental strength; liability to failure under pressure or stress or strain; "his weakness increased as he became older"; "the weakness of the span was overlooked until it collapsed"

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1. Decrease in intensity of a signal, beam, or wave as a result of absorption of energy and of scattering out of the path of a detector, but not including the reduction due to geometric spreading, i.e., the inverse square of distance effect.
2. In mine warfare, the reduction in intensity of an influence as distance from the source increases.
3. In camouflage and concealment, the process of making an object or surface less conspicuous by reducing its contrast to the surroundings and/or background. Also called tone down.