Definitions for attributeəˈtrɪb yut; ˈæ trəˌbyut

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

at•trib•ute^*əˈtrɪb yut; ˈæ trəˌbyut(v.; n.)-ut•ed, -ut•ing

(v.t.)to regard as resulting from a specified cause:
She attributes his bad temper to ill health.
to consider as a quality or characteristic of the person, thing, group, etc., indicated:
to attribute intelligence to one's colleagues.
to regard as made or produced by or originating in the person, time, place, etc., indicated:
to attribute a painting to an artist.
(n.)a quality, character, characteristic, or property attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.
an object associated with a character, office, or quality, as the lion skin of Hercules.
Category: Fine Arts
a subordinate word or phrase that serves to limit, particularize, or supplement the meaning of another: In the red house, red is an attribute of
house.
Category: Grammar

^* Syn: attribute , ascribe , impute mean to assign something to a definite cause or source. Possibly because of an association with tribute, attribute often has a complimentary connotation: to attribute one's success to a friend's encouragement.ascribe is used in a similar sense, but has a neutral implication: to ascribe an accident to carelessness.impute usu. means to attribute something dishonest or discreditable to a person; it implies blame or accusation: to impute an error to a new employee. See also quality.

Origin of attribute:

1350–1400; ME < L attribūtus, ptp. of attribuere to allot, assign, attribute

at•trib′ut•er(n.)

at•trib′u•tor(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

property, attribute, dimension(noun)
a construct whereby objects or individuals can be distinguished
"self-confidence is not an endearing property"
attribute(verb)
an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity
impute, ascribe, assign, attribute(verb)
attribute or credit to
"We attributed this quotation to Shakespeare"; "People impute great cleverness to cats"
assign, attribute(verb)
decide as to where something belongs in a scheme
"The biologist assigned the mushroom to the proper class"

Wiktionary

attribute(Noun)
A characteristic or quality of a thing.
His finest attribute is his kindness.
attribute(Noun)
A word that qualifies a noun.
In the clause "My jacket is more expensive than yours", "My" is the attribute of "jacket".
attribute(Noun)
The applicable option selection; a variable or a value.
This packet has its coherency attribute set to zero.
attribute(Noun)
That which is predicated or affirmed of a subject; a predicate; an accident.
attribute(Noun)
A semantic item with which a method, etc. may be decorated.
There are some more implementations which use C# attributes to define custom attributes specific to the AOP engine. Then the classes that need to be intercepted will be decorated with these custom attributes.
attribute(Verb)
To ascribe (something) to a given cause, reason etc.
attribute(Verb)
To associate ownership or authorship of (something) to someone.
This poem is attributed to Browning.

Origin: From attributus past participle of attribuere.

Webster Dictionary

Attribute(verb)
to ascribe; to consider (something) as due or appropriate (to); to refer, as an effect to a cause; to impute; to assign; to consider as belonging (to)
Attribute(noun)
that which is attributed; a quality which is considered as belonging to, or inherent in, a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic
Attribute(noun)
reputation
Attribute(noun)
a conventional symbol of office, character, or identity, added to any particular figure; as, a club is the attribute of Hercules
Attribute(noun)
quality, etc., denoted by an attributive; an attributive adjunct or adjective