Definition of SENSE

sense

Plural: senses

Noun

  • a general conscious awareness
    • "a sense of security"
    • "a sense of happiness"
    • "a sense of danger"
    • "a sense of self"
  • the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted
    • "the dictionary gave several senses for the word"
    • "in the best sense charity is really a duty"
  • the faculty through which the external world is apprehended
    • "in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing"
  • sound practical judgment
    • "Common sense is not so common"
    • "he hasn't got the sense God gave little green apples"
    • "fortunately she had the good sense to run away"
  • a natural appreciation or ability
    • "a keen musical sense"
    • "a good sense of timing"
  • Any of the manners by which living beings perceive the physical world: for humans sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste.
  • Perception through the intellect; apprehension; awareness.
  • Sound practical or moral judgment.
  • The meaning, reason, or value of something.
  • The meaning, reason, or value of something.
  • A meaning of a term (word or expression), among its various meanings.
  • The meaning, reason, or value of something.
  • A single conventional use of a word; one of the entries or definitions for a word in a dictionary.
  • A natural appreciation or ability.
  • The way that a referent is presented.
  • One of two opposite directions in which a vector (especially of motion) may point. See also polarity.
  • One of two opposite directions of rotation, clockwise versus anti-clockwise.
  • referring to the strand of a nucleic acid that directly specifies the product.

Verb

Verb Forms: sensed, sensing, senses

  • To perceive by means of the senses or intellectually comprehend.
  • perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles
  • detect some circumstance or entity automatically
    • "This robot can sense the presence of people in the room"
    • "particle detectors sense ionization"
  • become aware of not through the senses but instinctively
    • "I sense his hostility"
  • comprehend
    • "I sensed the real meaning of his letter"
  • To use biological senses: to either see, hear, smell, taste, or feel.
  • To instinctively be aware.
  • To comprehend.

Examples

  • A keen musical sense
  • a sense of security
  • He could ’SENSE’ a winning play lurking, if only he could rearrange his letters.
  • It’s common sense not to put metal objects in a microwave oven.
  • She immediately sensed her disdain.
  • the various senses of the word “car” (e.g., motor car, elevator car, railcar)
  • You don’t make any sense.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English sense, from Old French sens, sen, san (“sense, perception, direction”); partly from Latin sēnsus (“sensation, feeling, meaning”), from sentiō (“feel, perceive”); partly of Germanic origin (whence also Occitan sen, Italian senno), from Vulgar Latin *sennus (“sense, reason, way”), from Frankish *sinn ("reason, judgement, mental faculty, way, direction"; whence also Dutch zin, German Sinn, Swedish sinne, Norwegian sinn). Both Latin and Germanic from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (“to feel”).

Synonyms

common sense, feel, good sense, gumption, horse sense, mother wit, sensation, sensory faculty, sentience, sentiency, signified, smell, smell out, non-nonsense, sense

Scrabble Score: 5

sense: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
sense: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
sense: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

sense: valid Words With Friends Word