sense

[[t]sɛns[/t]]

n. v. sensed, sens•ing

1) phl any of the faculties, as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, by which humans and animals perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body

2) phl these faculties collectively

3) phl their operation or function; sensation

4) a feeling or perception produced through one of the senses:

a sense of cold[/ex]

5) a faculty or function of the mind analogous to a physical sense:

the moral sense[/ex]

6) any special capacity for perception, estimation, appreciation, etc.:

a sense of humor[/ex]

7) Usu., senses. sanity:

Have you taken leave of your senses?[/ex]

8) a more or less vague perception or impression:

a sense of security[/ex]

9) a mental discernment, realization, or recognition:

a sense of value[/ex]

10) a motivating awareness:

a sense of duty[/ex]

11) sound practical intelligence

12) reasonable thought or discourse:

to talk sense[/ex]

13) substance or gist; content:

You missed the sense of his statement[/ex]

14) value; merit:

There's no sense in worrying[/ex]

15) gen a DNA sequence that is capable of coding for an amino acid

(disting. from nonsense)

16) the meaning of a word or phrase in a specific context, esp. as isolated in a dictionary or glossary

17) consensus:

the sense of a meeting[/ex]

18) to perceive by the senses; become aware of

19) to grasp the meaning of; understand

20) to detect (physical phenomena, as light or temperature) mechanically, electrically, or photoelectrically

•

- in a sense make sense

Etymology: 1350–1400; ME (n.) < L sēnsus sensation, feeling, understanding =sent(īre) to feel +-tus suffix of v. action syn: See meaning