Attenuate [verb]

Her flowing dress of white brocade made no attempt to compress, to sustain or to attenuate.

But before she could attenuate in any way the crudity of her collapse he gave an impatient jerk which took him to the window.

The next day he added: "I am still sore vexed about Sherman, but Chenery did his best to attenuate the mischief."

Nevertheless, I had risen to make this answer, the ill grace of which I strove to attenuate by the courteousness of my attitude.

Involucre globular; the imbricated scales coriaceous and appressed at base, attenuate to long stiff points with hooked tips.

Involucre simple, of several erect lanceolate attenuate equal scales.

Capsule cylindrical-oblong, attenuate upward and bearing the slightly lobed sessile stigma, loculicidal, many-seeded.

There is no stalk, the body being fixed by the attenuate posterior end.

The anterior end is continued dorsally in a somewhat attenuate pointed process.

The bodies are variable—peristomial border widely dilated, tapering and attenuate posteriorly.