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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ascribe \As*cribe"\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Ascribed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ascribing}.] [L. ascribere, adscribere, to ascribe; ad + scribere to write: cf. OF. ascrire. See {Scribe}.]
1. To attribute, impute, or refer, as to a cause; as, his death was ascribed to a poison; to ascribe an effect to the right cause; to ascribe such a book to such an author.
The finest [speech] that is ascribed to Satan in the whole poem. --Addison.
2. To attribute, as a quality, or an appurtenance; to consider or allege to belong.
Syn: To {Ascribe}, {Attribute}, {Impute}.
Usage: Attribute denotes,
1. To refer some quality or attribute to a being; as, to attribute power to God. 2. To refer something to its cause or source; as, to attribute a backward spring to icebergs off the coast. Ascribe is used equally in both these senses, but involves a different image. To impute usually denotes to ascribe something doubtful or wrong, and hence, in general literature, has commonly a bad sense; as, to impute unworthy motives. The theological sense of impute is not here taken into view.
More than good-will to me attribute naught. --Spenser.
Ascribes his gettings to his parts and merit. --Pope.
And fairly quit him of the imputed blame. --Spenser.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
ascribe
verb: attribute or credit to; "We attributed this quotation to Shakespeare"; "People impute great cleverness to cats" [syn: {impute}, {assign}, {attribute}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
27 Moby Thesaurus words for "ascribe": accredit, adduce, advance, affix, allege, apply, assign, attach, attach to, attribute, charge, cite, conjecture, connect with, credit, fasten, fix, give, guess, impute, lay, pin on, place, put, refer, saddle, surmise
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |