sense

n. & v.
—n.
1 a any of the special bodily faculties by which sensation is roused (has keen senses; has a dull sense of smell). b sensitiveness of all or any of these.
2 the ability to perceive or feel or to be conscious of the presence or properties of things.
3 (foll. by of) consciousness (sense of having done well; sense of one's own importance).
4 (often foll. by of) a quick or accurate appreciation, understanding, or instinct regarding a specified matter (sense of the ridiculous; road sense; the moral sense). b the habit of basing one's conduct on such instinct.
5 practical wisdom or judgement, common sense; conformity to these (has plenty of sense; what is the sense of talking like that?; has more sense than to do that).
6 a a meaning; the way in which a word etc. is to be understood (the sense of the word is clear; I mean that in the literal sense). b intelligibility or coherence or possession of a meaning.
7 the prevailing opinion among a number of people.
8 (in pl.) a person's sanity or normal state of mind.
9 Math. etc. a a direction of movement. b that which distinguishes a pair of entities which differ only in that each is the reverse of the other.
—v.tr.
1 perceive by a sense or senses.
2 be vaguely aware of.
3 realize.
4 (of a machine etc.) detect.
5 US understand.
Phrases and idioms:
bring a person to his or her senses
1 cure a person of folly.
2 restore a person to consciousness.
come to one's senses
1 regain consciousness.
2 become sensible after acting foolishly. the five senses sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. in a (or one) sense if the statement is understood in a particular way (what you say is true in a sense). in one's senses sane. make sense be intelligible or practicable. make sense of show or find the meaning of. man of sense a sagacious man. out of one's senses in or into a state of madness (is out of her senses; frightened him out of his senses). sense-datum (pl. -data) Philos. an element of experience received through the senses. sense of direction the ability to know without guidance the direction in which one is or should be moving. sense of humour see HUMOUR. sense-organ a bodily organ conveying external stimuli to the sensory system. take leave of one's senses go mad. take the sense of the meeting ascertain the prevailing opinion. under a sense of wrong feeling wronged.
Etymology: ME f. L sensus faculty of feeling, thought, meaning, f. sentire sens- feel