Webster's English Dictionary

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understand

un.der.stand \.*n-d*r-'stand\ \-'stu.d\ \-.stan-d*-'bil-*t-e-\ 
   \-'stan-d*-b*l\ \-ble-\ vb or un.der.stood;  or un.der.stand.ing [ME 
   understanden, fr. OE understanden, fr. under + standan] to stand 1a: to 
   grasp the meaning of : COMPREHEND {~ Russian} { ~ a message in code} 1b: to 
   grasp the reasonableness of {his behavior is hard to ~}  1c: to have 
   thorough or technical acquaintance with or expertness in the p ractice of 
   {~ finance} 1d: to be thoroughly familiar with the character and 
   propensities of {R@s children} 2: to accept as a fact or truth or regard as 
   plausible without utter certa inty {~ that he is returning from abroad} 3: 
   to interpret in one of a number of possible ways  4: to supply in thought 
   as though expressed {"to be married" is commonly  understood after the word 
   engaged} 1: to have understanding : have the power of comprehension  2: to 
   achieve a grasp of the nature, significance, or explanation of somet hing 
   3: to believe or infer something to be the case  4: to show a sympathetic 
   or tolerant attitude toward something clear or complete idea of. UNDERSTAND 
   may differ from COMPREHEND in implying a result whereas COMPREHEND stresses 
   the mental process of arriving at a result {he understood the instructions 
   without comprehending their purpose} APPRECIATE implies a just estimation 
   of a thing's value {failed to appreciate the risks involved} - 
   un.der.stand.abil.i.ty n SYN syn UNDERSTAND, COMPREHEND, APPRECIATE mean to 
   have a