Also 5 aphet. tachement. [a. F. attachement: see ATTACH v. and -MENT.] The action of attaching, the condition of being attached.
I. Apprehension, seizure.
1. The action of apprehending (a person) and placing him under the control of a court of law; now, especially used of arrest for contempt of court. (With subjective or objective genitive: cf. APPREHENSION 2.)
1447–8. Shillingford, Lett. (1871), 77. Have had, used, and enjoyed … attacheaments, arestes.
1521. Wolsey, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 64, I. 178. The attachement of the late Duke of Bukingham.
1720. Shadwell, Humourist, IV. I’ll follow and apprehend him, and his attachment will secure me.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), I. v. 269. The house had the same power of attachment for contempt.
1876. Digby, Real Prop., vi. 286. To enforce the decrees of the Chancellor by attachment, that is, by arrest and imprisonment for contempt of court.
b. The writ or precept commanding such apprehension.
1468. Paston Lett., 567, II. 296. I am sore troblyd with Bedston … be the wey of tachements owte of the Chauncer.
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinsh., II. 128/2. If anie one of the parlement house be serued, sued, arrested, or attached by anie writ, attachment, or minister of the Kings bench.
1691. Blount, Law Dict., s.v., An Attachment sometimes issues out of a Court Baron.
1784. De Lolme, Const. Eng., I. xi. 109. If he does not appear, an attachment is issued against him.
1883. Mrq. Salisbury, Sp. in Parl., 17 July. The captain was brought up under an attachment, and, refusing to relieve the men, was committed.
2. The taking of property into the actual or constructive possession of the judicial power. Foreign attachment: ‘legal seizure of the goods of foreigners, found in some liberty (e.g., the City of London) to satisfy their creditors within such liberty.’
1592. Manwood, Coll. Lawes Forest, 99. The first maner of Attachement is, to Attache a man by his goodes and Cattels.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 424. The Common Law of England doth not vse the course of Attachments, as is vsed by the Custome of the Citie of London.
1809. Tomlinson, Law Dict., s.v., A foreign attachment cannot be had when a suit is depending in any of the courts at Westminster.
1842. Whittock, Compl. Bk. Trades, 220. In cases of insolvency, the Factor ought immediately to lay ‘attachments’ and advise his employers of it.
1875. Maine, Hist. Inst., ix. 276. It seems probable that Distress was gradually lost in and absorbed by Attachment and Distringas.
3. In Forest Laws (see quot.).
1592. Manwood, Coll. Lawes Forest, 90. In the said court of Attachments the officers there do nothing but receiue the Attachments of the Foresters.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 71. The court of attachments, or wood-mote … is to be held before the verderors of the forest … and is instituted to enquire into all offenders against vert and venison.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v., The lower court is called the attachment, the middle one the swainmote; the highest, the justice in Eyre’s seat.
† 4. fig. Arrest, confinement. Obs.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., IV. ii. 5. To bed, to bed: sleepe kill those pritty eyes, And giue as soft attachment to thy sences, As Infants empty of all thought.
II. Fastening, connection, tie.
5. The action of fastening or tacking on.
1859. Owen, Classif. Mamm., 65. The rest of the cranium is modified … for the attachment of muscles to work the jaw.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 18. 131. His mode of attachment was new to me.
1867. A. Barry, Sir C. Barry, ix. 315. Ingenious provisions for attachment of girders.
6. The fact or condition of being fastened on or to; connection.
1817. R. Jameson, Min., 130. Werner understands by attachment, the connection of single crystals with massive minerals, and the aggregation of crystals together.
7. The fact or condition of being attached by sympathy; affection, devotion, fidelity.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Sat. Antients, Wks. 1730, I. 21. We discover nothing of him … that deserves our attachment.
1791. Burke, App. Whigs, Wks. 1842, I. 511. He governed by party attachments.
1814. Scott, Wav. (1817), II. xx. 302. The lover’s eye discovered the object of his attachment.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. i. 2. His early attachments … were with the people of the Netherlands.
8. That whereby a thing is attached; a fastening, tie or bond.
1801. Phil. Trans., XCI. 15. The attachments between the nerve and pericardium were completely divided.
1859. Tennent, Ceylon, I. I. iii. 105. The falling timber … dragging those behind to which it is harnessed by its living attachments.
1874. Lyell, Elem. Geol., xix. 330. A continuous pavement formed by the stony roots or ‘attachments’ of the Cruroidea.
9. Something attached to any object, an adjunct.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Geo. II. (1847), III. vi. 157. The whole body of Whigs were cantoned out in attachments to the Dukes of Newcastle and Bedford.
1876. Catal. Sci. App. S. Kens., § 3405. Compass attachment to the Theodolite.
Mod. The Eolian attachment to the pianoforte.
