know definition | Dictionary.com

know

1 [noh]

verb, knew, known, know⋅ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

1.	to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty: I know the situation fully.

2.	to have established or fixed in the mind or memory: to know a poem by heart; Do you know the way to the park from here?

3.	to be cognizant or aware of: I know it.

4.	be acquainted with (a thing, place, person, etc.), as by sight, experience, or report: to know the mayor.

5.	to understand from experience or attainment (usually fol. by how before an infinitive): to know how to make gingerbread.

6.	to be able to distinguish, as one from another: to know right from wrong.

7.	Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.

–verb (used without object)

8.	to have knowledge or clear and certain perception, as of fact or truth.

9.	to be cognizant or aware, as of some fact, circumstance, or occurrence; have information, as about something.

–noun

10.	the fact or state of knowing; knowledge.

—Idioms

11.	in the know, possessing inside, secret, or special information.

12.	know the ropes, Informal. to understand or be familiar with the particulars of a subject or business: He knew the ropes better than anyone else in politics.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME knowen, knawen, OE gecnāwan; c. OHG -cnāhan, ON knā to know how, be able to; akin to L (g)nōvī, Gk gign

skein. See gnostic, can ¹

Related forms:

knower, noun

Synonyms:
1. Know, comprehend, understand imply being aware of meanings. To know is to be aware of something as a fact or truth: He knows the basic facts of the subject. I know that he agrees with me. To comprehend is to know something thoroughly and to perceive its relationships to certain other ideas, facts, etc. To understand is to be fully aware not only of the meaning of something but also of its implications: I could comprehend all he said, but did not understand that he was joking.

know

2 [noh, nou]

–noun Scot. and North England.

knoll ¹ .

knowe

[nou, noh]

–noun Scot. and North England.

knoll ¹ .

Also, know.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To know

know (nō)

v. knew (nōō, nyōō), known (nōn), know·ing, knows

v. tr.

To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty.
To regard as true beyond doubt: I know she won't fail.
To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in: knows how to cook.
To have fixed in the mind: knows her Latin verbs.
To have experience of: "a black stubble that had known no razor" (William Faulkner).
1. To perceive as familiar; recognize: I know that face.
2. To be acquainted with: He doesn't know his neighbors.
To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct: knows right from wrong.
To discern the character or nature of: knew him for a liar.
Archaic To have sexual intercourse with.

v. intr.

To possess knowledge, understanding, or information.
To be cognizant or aware.

[Middle English knouen, from Old English cnāwan; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.]
know'a·ble adj., know'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Know

Know\, n. Knee. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Know

Know\, v. t. [imp. Knew; p. p. Known; p. pr. & vb. n. Knowing.] [OE. knowen, knawen, AS. cn["a]wan; akin to OHG. chn["a]an (in comp.), Icel. kn["a] to be able, Russ, znate to know, L. gnoscere, noscere, Gr. ?, Skr. jn?; fr. the root of E. can, v. i., ken. (?). See Ken, Can to be able, and cf. Acquaint, Cognition, Gnome, Ignore, Noble, Note.]

1. To perceive or apprehend clearly and certainly; to understand; to have full information of; as, to know one's duty.

O, that a man might know The end of this day's business ere it come! --Shak.

There is a certainty in the proposition, and we know it. --Dryden.

Know how sublime a thing it is To suffer and be strong. --Longfellow.

2. To be convinced of the truth of; to be fully assured of; as, to know things from information.

3. To be acquainted with; to be no stranger to; to be more or less familiar with the person, character, etc., of; to possess experience of; as, to know an author; to know the rules of an organization.

He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin. --2 Cor. v. 21.

Not to know me argues yourselves unknown. --Milton.

4. To recognize; to distinguish; to discern the character of; as, to know a person's face or figure.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. --Matt. vil. 16.

And their eyes were opened, and they knew him. --Luke xxiv. 31.

To know Faithful friend from flattering foe. --Shak.

At nearer view he thought he knew the dead. --Flatman.

5. To have sexual commerce with.

And Adam knew Eve his wife. --Gen. iv. 1.

Note: Know is often followed by an objective and an infinitive (with or without to) or a participle, a dependent sentence, etc.

And I knew that thou hearest me always. --John xi. 42.

The monk he instantly knew to be the prior. --Sir W. Scott.

In other hands I have known money do good. --Dickens.

To know how, to understand the manner, way, or means; to have requisite information, intelligence, or sagacity. How is sometimes omitted. " If we fear to die, or know not to be patient." --Jer. Taylor.

Know

Know\, v. i. 1. To have knowledge; to have a clear and certain perception; to possess wisdom, instruction, or information; -- often with of.

Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. --Is. i. 3.

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. --John vii. 17.

The peasant folklore of Europe still knows of willows that bleed and weep and speak when hewn. --Tylor.

2. To be assured; to feel confident.

To know of, to ask, to inquire. [Obs.] " Know of your youth, examine well your blood." --Shak.

Language Translation for : know

Spanish: saber, conocer,

German: wissen,

Japanese: 知っている

More Translations »

know

O.E. cnawan (class VII strong verb; past tense cneow, pp. cnawen), from P.Gmc. *knoeanan (cf. O.H.G. bi-chnaan, ir-chnaan "to know"), from PIE base *gno- "to know" (cf. O.Pers. xšnasatiy "he shall know;" O.C.S. znati, Rus. znat "to know;" L. gnoscere; Gk. *gno-, as in gignoskein; Skt. jna- "know"). Once widespread in Gmc., this form is now retained only in Eng., where however it has widespread application, covering meanings that require two or more verbs in other languages (e.g. Ger. wissen, kennen, erkennen and in part können; Fr. connaître, savoir; L. novisse, cognoscire, scire; O.C.S. znaja, vemi). The Anglo-Saxons used two distinct words for this, witan (see wit) and cnawan. Meaning "to have sexual intercourse with" is attested from c.1200, from the O.T. To not know one's ass from one's elbow is from 1930. To know better "to have learned from experience" is from 1704. You know as a parenthetical filler is from 1712, but it has roots in 14c. M.E. Know-how "technical expertise" first recorded 1838 in Amer.Eng. Know-nothing "ignoramus" is from 1827; as a U.S. nativist political party, active 1853-56, the name refers to the secret society at the core of the party, about which members were instructed to answer, if asked about it, that they "know nothing." The party merged into the Republican Party.

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