Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Understand?

\Un`der*stand"\ ([u^]n`d[~e]r*st[a^]nd"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Understood}, and Archaic {Understanded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Understanding}.] [OE. understanden, AS. understandan, literally, to stand under; cf. AS. forstandan to understand, G. verstehen. The development of sense is not clear. See {Under}, and {Stand}.] 1. To have just and adequate ideas of; to apprehended the meaning or intention of; to have knowledge of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a problem in Euclid; to understand a proposition or a declaration; the court understands the advocate or his argument; to understand the sacred oracles; to understand a nod or a wink. Speaketh [i. e., speak thou] so plain at this time, I you pray, That we may understande what ye say. --Chaucer. I understand not what you mean by this. --Shak. Understood not all was but a show. --Milton. A tongue not understanded of the people. --Bk. of Com. Prayer. 2. To be apprised, or have information, of; to learn; to be informed of; to hear; as, I understand that Congress has passed the bill. 3. To recognize or hold as being or signifying; to suppose to mean; to interpret; to explain. The most learned interpreters understood the words of sin, and not of Abel. --Locke. 4. To mean without expressing; to imply tacitly; to take for granted; to assume. War, then, war, Open or understood, must be resolved. --Milton. 5. To stand under; to support. [Jocose & R.] --Shak. {To give one to understand}, to cause one to know. {To make one's self understood}, to make one's meaning clear.
\Un`der*stand"\, v. i. 1. To have the use of the intellectual faculties; to be an intelligent being. Imparadised in you, in whom alone I understand, and grow, and see. --Donne. 2. To be informed; to have or receive knowledge. I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah. --Neh. xiii. 7.