attribute

attribute做动词时读/ə'tribju:t/，做名词时读/'ætribju:t/. record词形不同时读音也不同。

attribute和tribute的词根一样。tribute是pay, ad-是to, with regard to, in relation to. attribute可以做名词，但attribution是attributing sth to sb/sth.

attribute和property做属性、特质、性质解时算同义词。To be fair though, in Computer Science these two words, at least for the most part, can be used interchangeably - but then again programmers usually don't hold degrees in English Literature and do not write or care much about grammar books :-) [link]

牛津/LDOCE/柯林斯:

• What attributes should a good manager possess?
• Cruelty is a normal attribute of human behavior.
• Her greatest attribute was her kindness.
• Certain plants have healing properties.
• Paraffin [石蜡] has the property of dissolving grease.
• A radio signal has both electrical and magnetic properties.

不同用法:

• The sceptre [权杖] is an attribute of kingly power. [象征]
• Real property/estate is property in the form of land and buildings, rather than personal possessions.
• Intellectual property is something which someone has invented or has the right to make or sell, especially something that cannot legally be copied by other people.