| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| know |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  n |
| VERB: | Inflected forms: knew ( n , ny), known ( nn), know·ing, knows
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty. 2. To regard as true beyond doubt: I know she won't fail. 3. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in: knows how to cook. 4. To have fixed in the mind: knows her Latin verbs. 5. To have experience of: “a black stubble that had known no razor” (William Faulkner). 6a. To perceive as familiar; recognize: I know that face. b. To be acquainted with: He doesn't know his neighbors. 7. To be able to distinguish; recognize as distinct: knows right from wrong. 8. To discern the character or nature of: knew him for a liar. 9. Archaic To have sexual intercourse with. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To possess knowledge, understanding, or information. 2. To be cognizant or aware. | | IDIOMS: | in the know Informal Possessing special or secret information. you know Informal Used parenthetically in conversation, as to fill pauses or educe the listener's agreement or sympathy: Please try to be, you know, a little quieter. How were we supposed to make camp in a storm like that, you know? | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English knouen, from Old English cn wan. See gn- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | know a·ble —ADJECTIVE
knower —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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