ASCRIBE

impute, ascribe, assign, attribute

(verb) attribute or credit to; “We attributed this quotation to Shakespeare”; “People impute great cleverness to cats”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

ascribe (third-person singular simple present ascribes, present participle ascribing, simple past and past participle ascribed)

(transitive) To attribute a cause or characteristic to someone or something.

(transitive) To attribute a book, painting or any work of art or literature to a writer or creator.

(nonstandard, with to) To believe in or agree with; subscribe.

Synonyms

• attribute

• impute

Anagrams

• Brescia, carbies, caribes

Source: Wiktionary


As*cribe", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ascribed; p. pr. & vb. n. Ascribing.] Etym: [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. 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

18 June 2025

SOUARI

(noun) large South American evergreen tree trifoliate leaves and drupes with nutlike seeds used as food and a source of cooking oil


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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