Wordwyrt

comprehend

/ˌkɒmpɹiˈhend/kom-pree-HEND
/ˌkɑmpɹiˈhɛnd/kahm-pree-HEND

Meaningto grasp completely

Common meaning: to understand fully

‘with, together’ + ‘to grasp, seize’ → comprehend

Journey through time

  1. Latinprehendō, prehēnsum‘to grasp, seize’
  2. Middle Englishcomprehendensource
  3. Englishcomprehend‘to understand fully’ · today

com- also in: compelcombustcomfortcommandcommend

prehend also in: prisonsurpriseapprehendprehensile

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin prehendō ‘to grasp, seize’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry prehendō, p. 1440 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

apprehendprehensileprisonsurprise

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app