a crystalline rock that can be cut and polished for jewelry; "he had the gem set in a ring for his wife"; "she had jewels made of all the rarest stones"
an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end
the quality of being instrumental for some purpose
a subsidiary organ of government created for a special purpose; "are the judicial instrumentalities of local governments adequate?"; "he studied the French instrumentalities for law enforcement"
the faculty through which the external world is apprehended; "in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing"
a general conscious awareness; "a sense of security"; "a sense of happiness"; "a sense of danger"; "a sense of self"
a natural appreciation or ability; "a keen musical sense"; "a good sense of timing"
the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted; "the dictionary gave several senses for the word"; "in the best sense charity is really a duty"; "the signifier is linked to the signified"
comprehend; "I sensed the real meaning of his letter"
become aware of not through the senses but instinctively; "I sense his hostility"
detect some circumstance or entity automatically; "This robot can sense the presence of people in the room"; "particle detectors sense ionization"
concerned with or characterized by rigorous or adherence to recognized forms (especially in religion or art); "highly formalized plays like `Waiting for Godot'"