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perceive

 - 5 dictionary results

per⋅ceive

  [per-seev]
Use perceive in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -ceived, -ceiv⋅ing.
1. to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses: I perceived an object looming through the mist.
2. to recognize, discern, envision, or understand: I perceive a note of sarcasm in your voice. This is a nice idea but I perceive difficulties in putting it into practice.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME perceiven < AF *perceivre, for perçoivre < L percipere to lay hold of, grasp, equiv. to per- per- + -cipere, comb. form of capere to take

Related forms:
per⋅ceiv⋅ed⋅ly  [per-see-vid-lee, -seevd-] , adverb
per⋅ceiv⋅ed⋅ness, noun
per⋅ceiv⋅er, noun
per⋅ceiv⋅ing⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. note, discover, observe, descry, distinguish. See notice.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To perceive
per·ceive   (pər-sēv')   
tr.v.   per·ceived, per·ceiv·ing, per·ceives

  1. To become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing.

  2. To achieve understanding of; apprehend. See Synonyms at see1.


[Middle English perceiven, from Old French perceivre, from Latin percipere : per-, per- + capere, to seize; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
per·ceiv'a·ble adj., per·ceiv'a·bly adv., per·ceiv'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.
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Word Origin & History

perceive 
c.1300, via Anglo-Fr. parceif, O.N.Fr. *perceivre, O.Fr. perçoivre, from L. percipere "obtain, gather," also, metaphorically, "to grasp with the mind," lit. "to take entirely," from per "thoroughly" + capere "to grasp, take" (see capable). Replaced O.E. ongietan. Both the L. senses were in O.Fr., though the primary sense of Mod.Fr. percevoir is literal, "to receive, collect" (rents, taxes, etc.), while Eng. uses the word almost always in the metaphorical sense.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: per·ceive
Pronunciation: p&r-'sEv
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: per·ceived; per·ceiv·ing
: to become aware of through the senses —per·ceiv·able /-'sE-v&-b&l/ adjective —per·ceiv·ably /-blE/ adverb —per·ceiv·er noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

perceive per·ceive (pər-sēv')
v. per·ceived, per·ceiv·ing, per·ceives

  1. To become aware of directly through any of the senses, especially sight or hearing.

  2. To achieve understanding of; apprehend.

per·ceiv'a·ble adj.
per·ceiv'a·bly adv.
per·ceiv'er n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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