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Know

//nəʊ// noun, particle, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Knowledge; the state of knowing. rare, uncountable

    "That on the view and know of theſe Contents, […] He ſhould the bearers put to […] death, […]"

  2. 2
    Alternative form of knowe (“hill, knoll”). alt-of, alternative

    "Owing to increasing numbers and consequent want of room for nestage, the old birds drove away the younger ones, who took refuge in their present abode at Fox's Know, where they have been located about six years."

  3. 3
    the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people wordnet
  4. 4
    Knowledge; the state of knowing. (Now confined to the fixed phrase in the know.) uncountable
Particle
  1. 1
    Used at the end of a sentence to draw attention to information one thinks the listener should keep in mind. Singlish

    "Make sure you water the plants, know…"

Verb
  1. 1
    To perceive the truth or factuality of; to be certain of; to be certain that. transitive

    "Question things. I have the most fun when I'm writing questioning things that people do not question- the assumptions that everybody knows are true."

  2. 2
    accept (someone) to be what is claimed or accept their power and authority wordnet
  3. 3
    To be or become aware or cognizant. intransitive

    "Did you know Michelle and Jack were getting divorced? ― Yes, I knew."

  4. 4
    be familiar or acquainted with a person or an object wordnet
  5. 5
    To be aware of; to be cognizant of. transitive

    "Did you know Michelle and Jack were getting divorced? ― Yes, I knew."

Show 19 more definitions
  1. 6
    be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about wordnet
  2. 7
    To be acquainted (with another person). intransitive, obsolete

    "You, and I haue knowne ſir."

  3. 8
    know how to do or perform something wordnet
  4. 9
    To be acquainted or familiar with; to have encountered. transitive

    "I know your mother, but I've never met your father."

  5. 10
    have fixed in the mind wordnet
  6. 11
    To be acquainted or familiar with; to have encountered.; To have sexual relations with. This meaning normally specified in modern English as e.g. to 'know someone in the biblical sense' or to 'know biblically'. archaic, euphemistic, transitive

    "AFterwarde the man knewe Heuáh his wife, which cõceiued & bare Káin, & ſaid, I haue obteined a man by yͤ Lord."

  7. 12
    have firsthand knowledge of states, situations, emotions, or sensations wordnet
  8. 13
    To experience. transitive

    "Their relationship knew ups and downs."

  9. 14
    perceive as familiar wordnet
  10. 15
    To understand or have a grasp of through experience or study.

    "Let me do it. I know how it works."

  11. 16
    be able to distinguish, recognize as being different wordnet
  12. 17
    To be able to distinguish, to discern, particularly by contrast or comparison; to recognize the nature of. transitive

    "to know a person's face or figure"

  13. 18
    know the nature or character of wordnet
  14. 19
    To recognize as the same (as someone or something previously encountered) after an absence or change. transitive

    "At nearer view he thought he knew the dead, / And call'd the wretched man to mind."

  15. 20
    have sexual intercourse with wordnet
  16. 21
    To have knowledge; to have information, be informed. intransitive

    "It is vital that he not know."

  17. 22
    To be able to play or perform (a song or other piece of music). transitive

    "Do you know "Blueberry Hill"?"

  18. 23
    To have indexed and have information about within one's database. transitive

    "Mmm... Seems you searched for a name that we don't know, we'll send our trained monkeys to check what's in stock."

  19. 24
    To maintain (a belief, a position) subject to a given philosophical definition of knowledge; to hold a justified true belief. transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwan (“to know, perceive, recognise”), from Proto-West Germanic *knāan, from Proto-Germanic *knēaną (“to know”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”). Cognates from Indo-European: Latin gnoscō, Latin cognoscō (Spanish conocer, French connaître, Romanian cunoaște, Italian conoscere, Portuguese conhecer), Ancient Greek γνωρίζω (gnōrízō, “I know”) and γνῶσις (gnôsis, “knowledge”), Albanian njoh (“I know, recognise”), Russian знать (znatʹ, “to know”), Lithuanian žinoti (“to know”), and Persian شناختن (šenâxtan, “to know”). from Proto-Germanic: Scots knaw (“to know, recognise”), Icelandic knega (“to know, know how to, be able”), Old High German knājan (“to know, recognise”), Old Norse kná (“to know how”). Remotely related also Dutch and German kennen, West Frisian kenne (see English ken).

Etymology 2

From Middle English knowen, from Old English cnāwan (“to know, perceive, recognise”), from Proto-West Germanic *knāan, from Proto-Germanic *knēaną (“to know”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”). Cognates from Indo-European: Latin gnoscō, Latin cognoscō (Spanish conocer, French connaître, Romanian cunoaște, Italian conoscere, Portuguese conhecer), Ancient Greek γνωρίζω (gnōrízō, “I know”) and γνῶσις (gnôsis, “knowledge”), Albanian njoh (“I know, recognise”), Russian знать (znatʹ, “to know”), Lithuanian žinoti (“to know”), and Persian شناختن (šenâxtan, “to know”). from Proto-Germanic: Scots knaw (“to know, recognise”), Icelandic knega (“to know, know how to, be able”), Old High German knājan (“to know, recognise”), Old Norse kná (“to know how”). Remotely related also Dutch and German kennen, West Frisian kenne (see English ken).

Etymology 3

Shortening of you know (sense 4)—Singapore English favours pro-drop constructions (Wee, 2003).

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