Forms: 4 ateyn(e, ateine, ateign, 4–5 atteygne, atteigne, 4–6 atteyne, 5–6 attayne, (5 ataine), 5–7 atteine, -aine, 6– attain. Pa. pple. attained; also 4–6 ateynt, etc.: see ATTAINT. [a. OF. ataign-, ateign-, stem of ataindre, -eindre:—L. attingĕre to touch on, get at, reach, f. ad-, at-, to + tangĕre to touch.]
I. trans. To touch, strike, attaint. (All Obs.)
† 1. To get at with a blow, strike, hit; = ATTAINT 1. Obs.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 16. And with his spere was atteyned of the king … by suche a might that he percid the shelde.
† 2. To touch upon (a matter), mention, treat of, deal with. Obs. (So L. attingere and OF. ateindre.)
1447–8. Shillingford, Lett. (1871), 42. The mater is attainyd at large in the comyn lawe.
† 3. To catch or detect in an offence, convict, condemn, ATTAINT. Obs. [Common sense of OF. ateindre: cf. Britton, I. xxvii. § 1 La forme de atteyndre nostre pes enfreynte. ‘The manner of convicting offenders for breach of our peace’; see also s.v. ATTAINOR.]
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 49. Knoute … siþen ateyned Edrik þorgh treson of old … Edrik was hanged on þe toure, for his trispas.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 5332. To reprove þam [his enmys] at þe last day, And to atteyn þam.
c. 1350. Harl. MS. No. 4196. 164. St. James 39. Pharisenes … went for to wit of his [Christ’s] thewes, For to atteyn him in sum thing Þat þai might wrye him to the king.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 1601. Hees ateyned for traytur, And fals and lither losenjoure.
II. trans. To come so near as to touch, to overtake, reach, catch.
† 4. To approach so as to touch, encroach on. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xxiii. 10. Ne ateyne thou [1388 Touche thou not] the termes of litle childer.
† 5. To overtake, come up with, catch up, get at or within reach of, catch. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 128. The fire is hote … And brenneth what he may atteigne.
c. 1450. Merlin, xviii. 278. Thei … began to pursue the hoste so that thei ateyned hem at a passage. Ibid., xvii. 272. The saisnes … slowgh alle that thei myght atteyne.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 182. Them that they attayned dyd them neuer hurte after.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., 174. The Earle … pursued with all celeritie … hoping to have ouer-taken the Scottish King … but not attaining him.
6. To reach by motion, to arrive at, ‘gain’ (a point aimed at).
c. 1585. Faire Em, III. 811. We quickly shall attain the English shore.
1616. R. C., Times Whis., VI. 2667. By this time we th’appointed place attainde.
1805. Southey, Madoc in W., I. Wks. V. 7. Now had they almost attain’d The palace portal.
1854. J. Abbott, Napoleon (1855), II. xviii. 336. The heroic marshal, however, attained the opposite shore.
b. To reach (an age or time).
1826. Praed, Poems (1865), I. 255. Sir Lidian had attained his sixteenth year.
7. To reach, arrive at, gain, accomplish, by continued effort (an end or purpose, a position, state, or personal quality).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1114. Þat he ne sal caim dede [= Cain’s death] a-teign.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 184. That he his purpose might atteigne.
c. 1400. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 8. If thou myghtest parfit pes atteigne.
1574. trans. Marlorat’s Apocalips, 3. Of whiche thyng we may now atteyne manifest knowledge.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. v. 21. Reason is not … borne with us … but attayned by Industry.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 262. Yet were they so far from attaining their ends.
1738. Wesley, Psalms, li. xi. Let me the Life Divine attain.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., II. 32. His fame would never probably have attained its present eminence.
8. To come into the possession of, to gain by effort, acquire, obtain (a possession; not now used of a material thing). arch.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 47. Pacience … venquysseth … Thynges þat rigour sholde neuere atteyne [v.r. atteigne, ateyne].
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 13. By whiche ye atteyne helpe of the holy gost.
1513. More, Edw. V., 4. He attained the Crowne and Scepter of the Realme.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xxvi. 38. To atteyne therby the towne of Berwike.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 825/1. Manasses … dyd penaunce and attained mercy.
1639. Rouse, Heav. Univ., x. (1702), 138. He teacheth them to attain a kingdom.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, II. 48. Her Husband, who at first attained her Bed by violence.
1863. Cox, Inst. Eng. Govt., I. vii. 80. To concur with the Prince of Orange in attaining a free Parliament.
† 9. To get to know, ‘get at,’ find out. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. i. 31. Þou hast now knowen and ataynt þe doutous or double visage of … fortune. Ibid., III. iii. 69. Þat fals beaute … is knowe and a-teint in þilke þinges.
1483. Caxton, Cato, E iiij. Secretes that humayne nature may not attayne, knowe, ne understonde.
1571. Digges, Pantom., II. xxiv. P iij. To attayne the quantitie of this longer portion, ye shall thus worke.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. v. § 26. II. 180. Not well attaining his meaning. Ibid. (1666), Hist. Camb. (1840), 105. About this time, for I cannot attain the certain year.
III. intr. (The distance of the point reached, or the effort made, is more distinctly expressed by the intr. const. with to, unto.)
10. To come so far as, succeed in coming to, get (to). To attain to = reach, arrive at. arch.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 547. Bygyn at þe laste … Tyl to þe fyrste þat þou at-teny.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems, 4. To the Blakhethe whan the did atteyne.
1535. Coverdale, Joshua xvii. 16. We shal not be able to attayne vnto the mountaynes.
1608. Armin, Nest Ninn. (1842), 18. With much adoe they attained thether againe.
1611. Bible, Acts xxvii. 12. If by any meanes they might attaine to Phenice.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. vii. Nor nearer might the dogs attain.
† b. Without locomotion: To reach. Obs.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xi. 161. God … atteineth to them without putting himself foorth.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., V. vi. 241. The second lay so with his backe towards the first, that his head attained about his bosome.
c. To come by succession, descend (to). Obs.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, IV. vii. 61. To whome the synne of Adam hath atteyned by very succession and descent.
† d. To happen (to). To attain to = overtake, befall. Obs.
1529. More, Comf. agst. Trib., III. Wks. 1217/2. We shall nede no rehersal of any harme that … maye attaine thereto.
11. To live on (to a time or age).
1535. Coverdale, 2 Esdras xi. 17. There shal none after ye atteyne vnto thy tyme.
1611. Bible, Gen. xlvii. 9. And haue not attained vnto the dayes of the yeeres of the life of my fathers.
Mod. He has attained to years of discretion.
12. To reach, or arrive at, a state, condition, purpose, possession; to succeed in reaching. Cf. 7, 8.
c. 1375. Wyclif, Serm., ix. Sel. Wks. 1869, I. 23. No conquerrour myȝte atteyne to Lordship of al þis erþe.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Clerkes T., 391. Sche may unto a knave childe atteigne By liklihed, sith sche nys not bareigne.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, vi. 26. He sholde attayne to thende of his desire.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxxxviii. 5. Soch knowlege is to wonderfull … for me, I can not atteyne vnto it.
1609. D. Rogers, in Digby Myst. (1882), Introd. 24. It cannot be attaynd vnto in this liffe.
1710. Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 47. Infallibility … being what no Man can attain unto.
1782. Cowper, Lett., 11 Nov. To see your trees attain to the dignity of timber.
1876. Green, Short Hist., ii. § 6 (1882), 90. Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this.
† b. with inf. of purpose. Obs.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xv. 15. Where as he thought to … attaigne to haue any company of men of warre.
1662. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 372. He … attained to be a most accomplished person.
† 13. = 9, but with to, unto. Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 439/2. I study tyll my braynes ake to perceyve this mater, but I can nat attayne to it.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1168/1. Neither they nor I haue yet atteined to their names.
1628. Coke, On Litt., Pref. The certain time wee cannot yet attain unto.
† IV. Senses influenced by, or derived from, L. attinēre. Obs.
† 14. intr. To extend as far as, stretch, reach (to).
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 5497. Here riȝt arm redeli ouer Rome ateyned.
1432–50. trans. Higden (1865), I. The see Tyren atteynethe to Ytaly [L. attinet ad Italiam].
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 252. Wyth great chaines of yren attaining fro one house to an other.
† 15. intr. To matter, concern, pertain to. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. vii. 59. What atteiniþ fame to swiche folk.
