n.
Pronunciation: ' s ē
Function: verb
Inflected Form: saw \ ' so ̇ \ ; seen \ ' s ē n \ ; see · ing \ ' s ē -i ŋ \
Etymology: Middle English seen, from Old English s ē on; akin to Old High German sehan to see and perhaps to Latin sequi to follow ― more at SUE
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 a : to perceive by the eye b : to perceive or detect as if by sight
2 a : to have experience of : UNDERGO < see army service> b : to come to know : DISCOVER c : to be the setting or time of <the last fifty years have seen a sweeping revolution in science ― Barry Commoner>
3 a : to form a mental picture of : VISUALIZE <can still see her as she was years ago> b : to perceive the meaning or importance of : UNDERSTAND c : to be aware of : RECOGNIZE < see s only our faults> d : to imagine as a possibility : SUPPOSE <couldn't see him as a crook>
4 a : EXAMINE , WATCH <want to see how she handles the problem> b (1) : READ (2) : to read of c : to attend as a spectator < see a play>
5 a : to take care of : provide for <had enough money to see us through> b : to make sure < see that order is kept>
6 a : to regard as : JUDGE b : to prefer to have <I'll see him hanged first> <I'll see you dead before I accept your terms> c : to find acceptable or attractive <can't understand what he see s in her>
7 a : to call on : VISIT b (1) : to keep company with especially in courtship or dating <had been see ing each other for a year> (2) : to grant an interview to : RECEIVE <the president will see you now>
8 : ACCOMPANY , ESCORT < see the guests to the door>
9 : to meet (a bet) in poker or to equal the bet of (a player) : CALL
intransitive verb
1 a : to give or pay attention b : to look about
2 a : to have the power of sight b : to apprehend objects by sight c : to perceive objects as if by sight
3 a : to grasp something mentally b : to acknowledge or consider something being pointed out < see , I told you it would rain>
4 : to make investigation or inquiry
– see · able \ - ə -b ə l \ adjective
– see after : to attend to : care for
– see eye to eye : to have a common viewpoint : AGREE
– see red : to become very angry
– see the light : to discover or realize a usually obscured truth
– see the light of day : to become publicly known or available (as through publication) <manuscripts that will never see the light of day >
– see things : HALLUCINATE
– see through : to grasp the true nature of < saw through the scheme>
– see to : to attend to : care for