keep in one's mind; "I cannot retain so much information"
secure and keep for possible future use or application; "The landlord retained the security deposit"; "I reserve the right to disagree"
allow to remain in a place or position; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"
hold within; "This soil retains water"; "I retain this drug for a long time"
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means"
perceive (an idea or situation) mentally; "Now I see!"; "I just can't see your point"; "Does she realize how important this decision is?"; "I don't understand the idea"
believe to be the case; "I understand you have no previous experience?"
make sense of a language; "She understands French"; "Can you read Greek?"
something that is read; "the article was a very good read"
to hear and understand; "I read you loud and clear!"
interpret something that is written or printed; "read the advertisement"; "Have you read Salman Rushdie?"
look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed; "The King will read the proclamation at noon"
interpret the significance of, as of palms, tea leaves, intestines, the sky; also of human behavior; "She read the sky and predicted rain"; "I can't read his strange behavior"; "The fortune teller read his fate in the crystal ball"
obtain data from magnetic tapes; "This dictionary can be read by the computer"
indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments; "The thermometer showed thirteen degrees below zero"; "The gauge read `empty'"
audition for a stage role by reading parts of a role; "He is auditioning for `Julius Caesar' at Stratford this year"
have or contain a certain wording or form; "The passage reads as follows"; "What does the law say?"
crowded with or characterized by much activity; "a very busy week"; "a busy life"; "a busy street"; "a busy seaport"
actively or fully engaged or occupied; "busy with her work"; "a busy man"; "too busy to eat lunch"; "the line is busy"
(of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; (`engaged' is a British term for a busy telephone line); "her line is busy"; "receptionists' telephones are always engaged"; "the lavatory is in use"; "kept getting a busy signal"
overcrowded or cluttered with detail; "a busy painting"; "a fussy design"
keep busy with; "She busies herself with her butterfly collection"
a firm controlling influence; "they kept a firm grip on the two top priorities"; "he was in the grip of a powerful emotion"; "a terrible power had her in its grasp"
worker who moves the camera around while a film or television show is being made
the friction between a body and the surface on which it moves (as between an automobile tire and the road)
hold fast or firmly; "He gripped the steering wheel"
affect; "Fear seized the prisoners"; "The patient was seized with unbearable pains"; "He was seized with a dreadful disease"
take hold of; grab; "The sales clerk quickly seized the money on the counter"; "She clutched her purse"; "The mother seized her child by the arm"; "Birds of prey often seize small mammals"
take or capture by force; "The terrorists seized the politicians"; "The rebels threaten to seize civilian hostages"