Apprehend

ap-pre-hend′, v.t. to lay hold of: to seize by authority: to be conscious of by means of the senses: to lay hold of by the intellect: to catch the meaning of: to consider or hold a thing as such: to fear.— n. Apprehensibil′ity .— adj. Apprehens′ible .— n. Apprehen′sion , act of apprehending or seizing: arrest: ( arch. ) conscious perception: conception: ability to understand: fear: ( obs. ) sensitivene , sensibility to.— adj. Apprehens′ive , pertaining to the laying hold of sensuous and mental impre ions: intelligent, clever: having an apprehension or notion of: fearful: anticipative of something adverse.— n. Apprehens′ivene . [L. apprehendĕre — ad , to, prehendĕre , -hensum , to lay hold of.]