attacker

From attack +‎ -er.

• (US) IPA^(key): /əˈtækɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ækə(ɹ)

attacker (plural attackers)

1. Someone who attacks.
   • 1981, Del Martin, Battered Wives, page 90:

     expecting the woman to take her attacker into physical custody is tantamount to preventing the arrest. If she could handle him, she probably would not need to call the police in the first place.

   • 2011, James M. Stewart, CompTIA Security+ Review Guide: Exam SY0-301, page 133:

     In this manner, the victim may be able to discover the one or many zombied systems that are causing the DoS attack but probably won't be able to track down the actual attacker.

   • 2015 March 31, Dan Goodin, “Massive denial-of-service attack on GitHub tied to Chinese government”, in Ars Technica‎, retrieved 2015-04-01:

     The targets suggest the attackers are sympathetic to the vast censorship apparatus known as the Great Firewall of China.

3. (soccer) One of the players on a team in football (soccer) in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.

   Synonyms: forward, striker, front man

   Hypernyms: player < person

   Hyponym: centre forward

• reattack

attacker

1. indefinite plural of attack