attorn

A1T1T1O1R1N1

verb

To transfer one's obligations from one person to another person.

Similar
traditio brevi manu
OriginMiddle English attournen ← Old French atorner →
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Meanings

verbattorn (third-person singular simple present attorns, present participle attorning, simple past and past participle attorned)

present singular third person attorns · participle present attorning · participle past attorned · past attorned

  1. intransitivelawTo transfer one's obligations from one person to another person.
  2. intransitivelawTo consent to the transfer of one's obligations as tenant under a lease to a new landlord.
  3. intransitivelawTo acknowledge the jurisdiction of (a particular court) over one's dispute.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
traditio brevi manu

Origin

  1. Old Frenchatorner“designate”
  2. Middle Englishattournen
  3. Englishattorn

From Middle English attournen, from Old French atorner (“designate”), from a- (“to”) + torner (“turn”).

More words from Middle English, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Arnottratton
Cite this entry
APA

attorn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attorn

MLA

“attorn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attorn. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “attorn,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/attorn.

Source: attorn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.