Apprehend

Apprehend
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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
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Look at other dictionaries:

  • apprehend — 1 *arrest, detain, attach Analogous words: seize, *take: capture, *catch Contrasted words: release, discharge, liberate, *free 2 Apprehend, comprehend mean to lay hold of something with the mind so as to know it but together …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • apprehend — apprehend, comprehend In the meanings in which they overlap, these two words denote slightly different aspects of understanding. Apprehend means to grasp or perceive a general idea or concept, whereas comprehend means to understand an argument or …   Modern English usage

  • Apprehend — Ap pre*hend , v. i. 1. To think, believe, or be of opinion; to understand; to suppose. [1913 Webster] 2. To be apprehensive; to fear. [1913 Webster] It is worse to apprehend than to suffer. Rowe. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • apprehend — ap·pre·hend /ˌa prə hend/ vt [Latin apprehendere to seize, arrest, from ad to + prehendere to seize]: arrest Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • apprehend — [v1] catch and arrest bag*, bust*, capture, collar, cop*, grab, nab, nail*, place under arrest, run in, seize, take in, take into custody, take prisoner; concepts 90,191,317 Ant. lose, not catch apprehend [v2] understand absorb, accept,… …   New thesaurus

  • apprehend — (v.) mid 14c., to grasp in the senses or mind, from O.Fr. aprendre (12c.) teach; learn; take, grasp; acquire, or directly from L. apprehendere to take hold of, grasp, from ad to + prehendere to seize (see PREHENSILE (Cf. prehensile)). Metaphoric… …   Etymology dictionary

  • apprehend — ► VERB 1) intercept in the course of unlawful or wrongful action. 2) seize or arrest. 3) understand; perceive. 4) archaic anticipate with fear or unease. ORIGIN Latin apprehendere, from prehendere lay hold of …   English terms dictionary

  • apprehend — [ap΄rē hend′, ap΄rihend′] vt. [ME apprehenden < LL apprehendere, to understand < L, to take hold of < ad , to + prehendere: see PREHENSILE] 1. to take into custody; capture or arrest 2. to take hold of mentally; perceive; understand 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • apprehend — ap|pre|hend [ˌæprıˈhend] v [T] [Date: 1300 1400; : Latin; Origin: apprehendere to take hold of , from ad to + prehendere to seize ] 1.) formal if the police apprehend a criminal, they catch him or her = ↑arrest ▪ The police have failed to… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • apprehend — [[t]æ̱prɪhe̱nd[/t]] apprehends, apprehending, apprehended 1) VERB If the police apprehend someone, they catch them and arrest them. [FORMAL] [V n] Police have not apprehended her killer. Syn: catch 2) VERB If you apprehend something, you… …   English dictionary

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