[f. L. attract- ppl. stem of attrah-ĕre to draw to, f. at-, ad- to + trahĕre to drag, draw. Formed on analogy of the verbs abstract, contract, which preceded it in use, and had been formed on the ppl. adjs. c. 1400.]
To draw to or towards oneself. Only trans.
† 1. To draw in, take in by drawing or suction:
a. fluids, nourishment, as the vessels of the body do; To absorb.
1540. Raynald, Birth Man., 7 b. An attractife power … geuen to the wombe, to attracte and drawe towardes itselfe the seede.
1652. French, Yorksh. Spa, xi. 96. The internal vessels being heated will more strongly attract, and expell.
b. the breath; To inhale. (cf. L. pulmo attrahens ac reddens animam.)
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xvii. (1660), 209. Animals that do attract and deliver their breath more strongly.
1667. Phil. Trans., II. 603. To speak inwardly, as do the Ventriloqui, by attracting the Breath.
† c. ideas; To take in. (Cf. ‘swallow.’) Obs.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., 181. A hundred thousand times more then thought can attract, or supposition apprehend.
† 2. To draw to or toward oneself by taking hold of; to pull, drag in. Obs.
1669. Boyle, Contn. New Exp., II. (1682), 16. That the Thumb sticking in the angle P, the rest of the fingers may attract the Lever L, and so force [etc.].
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., 222. Out of the History of Moses touching the Universal Flood, and the History of Deucalion, Ovid made up his first Book, attracting in a great measure to the latter what was written of the former by Moses.
3. To draw to itself by invisible influence: † a. Said of medical applications, as a poultice. Obs.
1563. T. Gale, Antidot., I. 2. Medicines which do drawe and attracte be of whote temperature and subtyle partes.
b. Said of physical forces: the word appropriated to the action of all bodies upon each other under the influence of gravitation, of electrical and magnetic bodies upon certain substances, and the like.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., ii. 11. Iron nailes would attract the Compasse.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. iv. Jet and amber attracteth straws and light bodies.
1670. Phil. Trans., V. 2041. This Substance is Electrical, attracting (to speak with the Vulgar,) when heated, straw, Feathers, &c.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Every particle in nature is proved to attract every other particle.
1834. Mrs. Somerville, Connex. Phys. Sc. The sun attracts all the planets … inversely as the square of their distances from its centre.
c. Said of influencing the will and action of men or animals, so as to cause them to come near; e.g., to draw them by expected advantages, curiosity, admiration, sympathy.
1568. Grafton, Chron. (1809), II. 131. Secretly to enuegle and attract such persons of ye nobility to ioyne with and take her part.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 69. It has attracted the City round about it.
1712. Pope, Vertumnus & Pomona, 70 (J.). What nymph could e’er attract such crowds as you?
1874. Helps, Soc. Press., ii. 15. A great capital attracts great talent.
1879. Lubbock, Sci. Lect., i. 9. Color, scent, and honey are the three characteristics by which insects are attracted to flowers.
1884. Manch. Exam., 9 June, 5/1. The cricket ground … had never previously attracted such large gatherings.
d. Said of drawing to oneself parasites, disease, damp, dust, the shafts of wit, criticism, etc., by exposing a surface which intercepts them, or by presenting conditions favorable to their settlement.
1771. Junius Lett., liv. 281. Private vices have not dignity sufficient to attract the censure of the press.
Mod. Conditions which attract fever; likely to attract the cholera.
4. Hence (from 3 c, d), without any material movement: a. To draw forth or excite towards oneself the pleasurable emotions of a person, so that he ‘feels drawn’ to the source of attraction, and takes pleasure in dwelling upon it in contemplation or thought. (Either the person or emotion may be the object.)
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. iv. 89. ’Tis that miracle, and Queene of Iems That nature prankes her in, attracts my soule.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 152. Adornd She was indeed, and lovely to attract Thy Love.
1836. Kingsley, Lett. (1878), I. 36. The beauty of the animate and the human began to attract me.
1876. Green, Short Hist., iii. § 2 (1882), 118. John … had a strange gift of attracting friends and of winning the love of women.
b. To draw forth, and fix upon oneself the attention (of eyes, ears, mind), or notice, of others.
1692. Dryden, Eleonora, 169. A wife … Made to attract his eyes, and keep his heart.
1803. Porteus, Lect., I. ii. (ed. 5), 50 (R.). A new star or meteor … attracted the notice of those illustrious strangers, who came from a distant country to pay their homage to the infant Jesus.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 2. 20. Our attention was attracted by a singular noise.
