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Define the word ken

Ken \Ken\, v. i.
   To look around. [Obs.] --Burton.
   [1913 Webster]

Ken \Ken\, n.
   Cognizance; view; especially, reach of sight or knowledge.
   "Beyond his ken." --Longfellow.
   [1913 Webster]

         Above the reach and ken of a mortal apprehension.
                                                  --South.
   [1913 Webster]

         It was relief to quit the ken
         And the inquiring looks of men.          --Trench.
   Kendal green

Ken \Ken\ (k[e^]n), n. [Perh. from kennel.]
   A house; esp., one which is a resort for thieves. [Slang,
   Eng.]
   [1913 Webster]

Ken \Ken\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Kenned (k[e^]nd); p. pr. & vb.
   n. Kenning.] [OE. kennen to teach, make known, know, AS.
   cennan to make known, proclaim, or rather from the related
   Icel. kenna to know; akin to D. & G. kennen to know, Goth.
   kannjan to make known; orig., a causative corresponding to
   AS. cunnan to know, Goth. kunnan. [root]45. See Can to be
   able, Know.]
   1. To know; to understand; to take cognizance of. [Archaic or
      Scot.]
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To recognize; to descry; to discern. [Archaic or Scot.]
      "We ken them from afar." --Addison
      [1913 Webster]

            'T is he. I ken the manner of his gait. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

ken
     n 1: range of what one can know or understand; "beyond my ken"
          [syn: cognizance]
     2: the range of vision; "out of sight of land" [syn: sight]
     [also: kent, kenning, kenned]

155 Moby Thesaurus words for "ken":
   absorb, acquaintance, appreciate, apprehend, assimilate,
   be acquainted with, be apprised of, be aware of, be cognizant of,
   be conscious of, be conversant with, be informed, be with one,
   behold, catch, catch on, catch sight of, clap eyes on, clear sight,
   cognize, color vision, command, comprehend, comprehension,
   conceive, conceptualize, cone vision, corpus, data, datum,
   day vision, daylight vision, descry, dig, digest, discern,
   discernment, discover, distinguish, domination, espy, experience,
   expertise, eye, eye-mindedness, eyereach, eyeshot, eyesight, facts,
   factual base, familiarity, farsight, farsightedness, fathom,
   field of view, field of vision, follow, get, get hold of,
   get the drift, get the idea, get the picture, glimpse, grasp, have,
   have in sight, have information about, have it taped,
   have knowledge of, horizon, information, intelligence, intimacy,
   keen sight, know, know-how, knowing, knowledge, lay eyes on, learn,
   limit of vision, line of sight, look on, look upon, make out,
   master, naked eye, night vision, notice, observe, outlook,
   outlook over, perceive, perception, peripheral field,
   peripheral vision, perspective, perspicacity, perspicuity,
   photopia, pick out, possess, power of sight, practical knowledge,
   prehend, private knowledge, privity, prospect, purview,
   quick sight, range, ratio cognoscendi, reach, read, realize,
   recognize, rod vision, savvy, scan, scope, scope of vision,
   scotopia, see, seeing, seize, seize the meaning, self-knowledge,
   sense, sense of sight, sight, sightedness, sightliness, spot, spy,
   survey, sweep, take, take in, technic, technics, technique, twig,
   twilight vision, understand, understanding, unobstructed vision,
   view, vision, vista, visual acuity, visual field, visual sense,
   witness, wot, wot of

ken /ken/ n. 1. [Unix] Ken Thompson, principal inventor of Unix. In the
   early days he used to hand-cut distribution tapes, often with a note
   that read "Love, ken". Old-timers still use his first name (sometimes
   uncapitalized, because it's a login name and mail address) in
   third-person reference; it is widely understood (on Usenet, in
   particular) that without a last name `Ken' refers only to Ken Thompson.
   Similarly, Dennis without last name means Dennis Ritchie (and he is
   often known as dmr). See also demigod, {Unix}. 2. A flaming user.
   This was originated by the Software Support group at Symbolics because
   the two greatest flamers in the user community were both named Ken.

ken
     
        /ken/ 1. Ken Thompson
     
        2. A flaming user.  This was originated by the Software
        Support group at Symbolics because the two greatest flamers
        in the user community were both named Ken.
     
        [Jargon File]