All 4 Uses of
comprehend
in
The Mysterious Benedict Society
- "Mr. Curtain's boosting the power," Reynie said gravely, and when Kate and Sticky looked at him, still not comprehending, he said, "It's the hidden messages.†
p. 216.8 *comprehending = understanding
- For the Whisperer to do, well, certain things I wish it to do — I will not waste time explaining details you cannot comprehend — my thoughts must first pass through a less sophisticated mind This is where my Messengers come in.†
p. 319.4comprehend = understand -- especially to understand it completely
- Kate started to speak, but a catch in her voice made her words incomprehensible.†
p. 409.9incomprehensible = not understandablestandard prefix: The prefix "in-" in incomprehensible means not and reverses the meaning of comprehensible. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
- Um, well, sir, we're sure to comprehend ...I mean apprehend ...I mean we're sure to catch them soon.†
p. 439.1comprehend = understand -- especially to understand it completely
Definitions:
-
(1)
(comprehend) to understand something -- especially to understand it completely
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely (and more frequently in the past), comprehend can mean to include as part of something broader. That was the first sense of the word listed in Webster's Dictionary of 1828 with this sample sentence: "The empire of Great Britain comprehends England, Scotland and Ireland, with their dependencies."