Definition of "sense"

sense

/sɛn(t)s/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural senses
1. Any of the manners by which living beings perceive the physical world: for humans sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste.
  Quotations
  Let fancy still my sense in Lethe steep.
  c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene i]
  What surmounts the reach / Of human sense I shall delineate.
  1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,
2. Perception through the intellect; apprehension; awareness.
  Quotations
  this Basilius, having the quick sense of a lover
  a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912,
  high disdain from sense of injured merit
  1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,
3. Sound practical or moral judgment.
  Quotations
  some People so Harden'd in Wickedness, as to have No Sense at all of the most Friendly Offices, or the Highest Benefits.
  1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […]
4. The meaning, reason, or value of something.
  1. Any particular meaning of a word, among its various meanings.
    Quotations
    So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense.
    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Nehemiah 8:8
    I think 'twas in another sense.
    c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene i]
5. A natural appreciation or ability.
6. (pragmatics) The way that a referent is presented.
7. (semantics) A single conventional use of a word; one of the entries for a word in a dictionary.
8. (mathematics) One of two opposite directions in which a vector (especially of motion) may point. See also polarity.
9. (mathematics) One of two opposite directions of rotation, clockwise versus anti-clockwise.
10. (biochemistry) referring to the strand of a nucleic acid that directly specifies the product.
verb
third-person singular simple present senses, present participle sensing, simple past and past participle sensed
1. To use biological senses: to either see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.
2. To instinctively be aware.
3. To comprehend.

Definition of "sense"

sense

noun

Quotations

Quotations

Quotations

Quotations

verb