Per*ceive" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Perceived (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Perceiving.] [OF. percevoir, perceveir, L.
percipere, perceptum; per (see Per-) +
capere to take, receive. See Capacious, and cf.
Perception.] 1. To obtain knowledge of
through the senses; to receive impressions from by means of the bodily
organs; to take cognizance of the existence, character, or identity
of, by means of the senses; to see, hear, or feel; as, to
perceive a distant ship; to perceive a discord.
Reid.
2. To take intellectual cognizance of; to
apprehend by the mind; to be convinced of by direct intuition; to
note; to remark; to discern; to see; to understand.
Jesus perceived their wickedness.
Matt. xxii. 18.
You may, fair lady,
Perceive I speak sincerely.
Shak.
Till we ourselves see it with our own eyes, and
perceive it by our own understandings, we are still in the
dark.
Locke.
3. To be affected of influented by.
[R.]
The upper regions of the air perceive the
collection of the matter of tempests before the air here
below.
Bacon.
Syn. -- To discern; distinguish; observe; see; feel; know;
understand. -- To Perceive, Discern. To perceive
a thing is to apprehend it as presented to the senses or the
intellect; to discern is to mark differences, or to see a thing
as distinguished from others around it. We may perceive two
persons afar off without being able to discern whether they are
men or women. Hence, discern is often used of an act of the
senses or the mind involving close, discriminating, analytical
attention. We perceive that which is clear or obvious; we
discern that which requires much attention to get an idea of
it. "We perceive light, darkness, colors, or the truth or
falsehood of anything. We discern characters, motives, the
tendency and consequences of actions, etc." Crabb.
