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| as·cribe [ ə skrb ] (past and past participle as·cribed, present participle as·crib·ing, 3rd person present singular as·cribes) |
transitive verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. give something as cause: to believe or say that something was caused by a particular thing
  ascribed the defeat to a series of tactical errors
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2. give somebody as author: to believe or say that something was originally written or said by a particular person
a poem no longer ascribed to Shakespeare
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3. give something as characteristic: to believe that something belongs to or characterizes a person or group
to ascribe contentment to the unambitious
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| [15th century. < Latin ascribere "add to in writing" < scribere "write"] |
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| as·crib·a·ble adjective |
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