# attachment

/əˈtætʃmənt/ (US) · /ɐtˈætʃmənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/attachment
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. email file

noun · CEFR A2

a computer file that you send along with an email message.

For teachers: a digital file sent as an adjunct to an electronic mail message.

- I forgot to include the attachment in my last email, so I am sending it now.
- Please review the PDF attachment for the full project specifications before our meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

Usage: Commonly used with the verbs 'send', 'receive', 'open', or 'download'.

### 2. emotional bond

noun · CEFR B2

a strong feeling of affection or loyalty to a person, place, or thing.

For teachers: an emotional bond or a sense of deep affection and loyalty toward a person or object.

- The child has a very strong attachment to her favorite teddy bear.
- Psychologists often study the early attachment between infants and their primary caregivers to predict future social development.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'to'.

### 3. mechanical tool

noun · CEFR B1

an extra part that you can join to a machine to help it do a special job.

For teachers: an accessory or auxiliary device that can be connected to a primary machine to extend its functionality.

- This vacuum cleaner comes with a special attachment for cleaning pet hair off the sofa.
- The tractor was fitted with a plough attachment to prepare the fields for the spring planting season.

### 4. physical connection

noun · CEFR B2

the act of joining one thing to another, or the part that holds them together.

For teachers: the act of fastening or joining one object to another, or the point of connection itself.

- The secure attachment of the mirror to the wall is very important for safety.
- Engineers inspected the bridge for any signs of wear at the points of attachment between the cables and the main towers.

### 5. legal seizure

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the legal act of taking someone's property or money to pay back a debt.

For teachers: the legal process of seizing property or wages by court order to satisfy a debt or judgment.

- The court ordered an attachment of his earnings to pay for the unpaid taxes.
- The creditor sought a writ of attachment against the defendant's assets to ensure the funds remained available until the trial concluded.

## Examples

- Please open the attachment to see the new schedule.
- The vacuum cleaner comes with a special brush attachment for removing pet hair from the sofa.
- Because the server automatically strips executable files from incoming messages to prevent malware infections, you must upload the software update to a shared drive rather than sending it as an attachment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.