From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Apprehend \Ap`pre*hend"\ ([a^]p`pr[-e]*h[e^]nd"), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. {Apprehended}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Apprehending}.] [L.
apprehendere; ad + prehendere to lay hold of, seize; prae
before + -hendere (used only in comp.); akin to Gr.
chanda`nein to hold, contain, and E. get: cf. F.
appr['e]hender. See {Prehensile}, {Get}.]
1. To take or seize; to take hold of. [Archaic]
[1913 Webster]
We have two hands to apprehend it. --Jer. Taylor.
[1913 Webster]
2. Hence: To take or seize (a person) by legal process; to
arrest; as, to apprehend a criminal.
[1913 Webster]
3. To take hold of with the understanding, that is, to
conceive in the mind; to become cognizant of; to
understand; to recognize; to consider.
[1913 Webster]
This suspicion of Earl Reimund, though at first but
a buzz, soon got a sting in the king's head, and he
violently apprehended it. --Fuller.
[1913 Webster]
The eternal laws, such as the heroic age apprehended
them. --Gladstone.
[1913 Webster]
4. To know or learn with certainty. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
G. You are too much distrustful of my truth.
E. Then you must give me leave to apprehend
The means and manner how. --Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
5. To anticipate; esp., to anticipate with anxiety, dread, or
fear; to fear.
[1913 Webster]
The opposition had more reason than the king to
apprehend violence. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: To catch; seize; arrest; detain; capture; conceive;
understand; imagine; believe; fear; dread.
Usage: To {Apprehend}, {Comprehend}. These words come into
comparison as describing acts of the mind. Apprehend
denotes the laying hold of a thing mentally, so as to
understand it clearly, at least in part. Comprehend
denotes the embracing or understanding it in all its
compass and extent. We may apprehended many truths
which we do not comprehend. The very idea of God
supposes that he may be apprehended, though not
comprehended, by rational beings. "We may apprehended
much of Shakespeare's aim and intention in the
character of Hamlet or King Lear; but few will claim
that they have comprehended all that is embraced in
these characters." --Trench.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
apprehended
adj 1: fully understood or grasped; "dangers not yet
appreciated"; "these apprehended truths"; "a thing
comprehended is a thing known as fully as it can be
known" [syn: {appreciated}, {apprehended},
{comprehended}]
|
