Webster's English Dictionary

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assume

as.sume \*-'su:m\ vt [ME assumen, fr. L assumere, fr. ad- + sumere to take 
   -m more at CONSUME 1a: to take up or in : RECEIVE  1b: to take into 
   partnership, employment, or use  2a: to take to or upon oneself : UNDERTAKE 
    2b: to put on (clothing) : DON  3: SEIZE, USURP  4: to take in appearance 
   only  5: to take as granted or true : SUPPOSE  6: to take over (the debts 
   of another) as one's ownM, COUNTERFEIT, SHAM mean to put on a false or 
   deceptive appearance. ASSUME often implies a justifiable motive rather than 
   an intent to deceive; AFFECT implies making a false show of possessing, 
   using, or feeling; PRETEND implies overt and sustained profession of what 
   is known to be false or not genuinely believed or felt; SIMULATE suggests 
   assuming the appearance of something (as an emotion) by imitating the signs 
   of it; FEIGN implies more artful invention than PRETEND, less specific 
   mimicry than SIMULATE; COUNTERFEIT implies achieving the highest degree of 
   verisimilitude of any of these words; SHAM implies an obvious falseness 
   that fools only the gullible SYN syn ASSUME, AFFECT, PRETEND, SIMULATE, 
   FEIGN)