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"
take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect; "His voice took on a sad tone"; "The story took a new turn"; "he adopted an air of superiority"; "She assumed strange manners"; "The gods assume human or animal form in these fables"
take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof; "I assume his train was late"
take up someone's soul into heaven; "This is the day when May was assumed into heaven"
occupy or take on; "He assumes the lotus position"; "She took her seat on the stage"; "We took our seats in the orchestra"; "She took up her position behind the tree"; "strike a pose"
seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession; "He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town"; "he usurped my rights"; "She seized control of the throne after her husband died"
take on titles, offices, duties, responsibilities; "When will the new President assume office?"
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?"
gain possession of by prior right or opportunity, especially so as to obtain the right to buy (land)
take the place of or have precedence over; "live broadcast of the presidential debate preempts the regular news hour"; "discussion of the emergency situation will preempt the lecture by the professor"