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ken - 13 dictionary results

ken

  [ken] noun, verb, kenned or kent, ken⋅ning.
Use ken in a Sentence
–noun
1. knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception: an idea beyond one's ken.
2. range of sight or vision.
–verb (used with object)
3. Chiefly Scot.
a. to know, have knowledge of or about, or be acquainted with (a person or thing).
b. to understand or perceive (an idea or situation).
4. Scots Law. to acknowledge as heir; recognize by a judicial act.
5. Archaic. to see; descry; recognize.
6. British Dialect Archaic.
a. to declare, acknowledge, or confess (something).
b. to teach, direct, or guide (someone).
–verb (used without object)
7. British Dialect.
a. to have knowledge of something.
b. to understand.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME kennen to make known, see, know, OE cennan to make known, declare; c. ON kenna, G kennen; akin to can 1

Ken

  [ken]
–noun
a male given name, form of Kendall or Kenneth.

Ken.

 
Kentucky.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ken   (kěn)   
n.  
  1. Perception; understanding: complex issues well beyond our ken.
    1. Range of vision.
    2. View; sight.
v.   kenned or kent (kěnt), ken·ning, kens Scots

v.   tr.
  1. To know (a person or thing).
  2. To recognize.
v.   intr.
To have knowledge or an understanding.

[From Middle English kennen (influenced by Old Norse kenna, to know), from Old English cennan, to declare; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Ken

Ken\, n. [Perh. from kennel.] A house; esp., one which is a resort for thieves. [Slang, Eng.]

Ken

Ken\, n. t. [imp. & p. p. Kenned; p. pr. & vb. n. Kenning.] [OE. kennen to teach, make known, know, AS. cennan to make known, proclaim, or rather from the related Icel. kenna to know; akin to D. & G. kennen to know, Goth. kannjan to make known; orig., a causative corresponding to AS. cunnan to know, Goth. kunnan. [root]45. See Can to be able, Know.]

1. To know; to understand; to take cognizance of. [Archaic or Scot.]

2. To recognize; to descry; to discern. [Archaic or Scot.] "We ken them from afar." --Addison

'T is he. I ken the manner of his gait. --Shak.

Ken

Ken\, v. i. To look around. [Obs.] --Burton.

Ken

Ken\, n. Cognizance; view; especially, reach of sight or knowledge. "Beyond his ken." --Longfellow.

Above the reach and ken of a mortal apprehension. --South.

It was relief to quit the ken And the inquiring looks of men. --Trench.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : ken
Spanish: cuando; mientras,
German: während,
Japanese: ～の時
More Translations »

ken

/ken/ n.
1. [Unix] Ken Thompson, principal inventor of Unix. In the early days he used to hand-cut distribution tapes, often with a note that read "Love, ken". Old-timers still use his first name (sometimes uncapitalized, because it's a login name and mail address) in third-person reference; it is widely understood (on Usenet, in particular) that without a last name `Ken' refers only to Ken Thompson. Similarly, Dennis without last name means Dennis Ritchie (and he is often known as dmr). See also demigod, Unix.
2. A flaming user. This was originated by the Software Support group at Symbolics because the two greatest flamers in the user community were both named Ken.
Jargon File 4.2.0
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ken  (v.)
"to know," Scot. dial., from O.E. cennan "make known, declare, acknowledge," originally "make to know," causative of cunnan "to become acquainted with, to know" (see can (v.)). The noun meaning "range of sight" (1590) is a nautical abbreviation of kenning.

ken  (n.)
"house where thieves meet," 1567, vagabonds' slang, probably a shortening of kennel.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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ken
/ken/ 1. Ken Thompson
2. A flaming user. This was originated by the Software Support group at Symbolics because the two greatest flamers in the user community were both named Ken.
[The Jargon File]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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KEN
[National Mental Health Services] Knowledge Exchange Network
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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