1. n. any of the media through which one gathers information about the external environment or about the state of one’s body in relation to the environment. They include the five primary senses—vision, hearing, taste, touch, and smell—as well as the senses of pressure, pain, temperature, kinesthesis, and equilibrium. Each sense has its own receptors, responds to characteristic stimuli, and has its own pathways to a specific part of the brain. Also called sense modality; sensory modality.

2. n. a particular awareness of a physical dimension or property (e.g., time, space) or of an abstract quality, usually one that is desirable (e.g., humor, justice).

3. n. good judgment or intelligence manifested by, or absent from, a person.

4. n. the gist or general meaning of something, such as an argument, play, or event.

5. vb. to perceive something using the senses.

6. vb. to make an emotional or cognitive judgment about something, such as another person’s mood.