Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SEE, v.t. [pret. saw; pp. seen. Sax. seon, seogan, geseon; G. sehen; D. zien, pret. zag, saw; Dan. seer; Sw. se. This verb is contracted, as we know by the Eng. sight, Dan. sigt, G. gesicht, D. zigt, gezigt. Ch. סכא, סכה or סכי, to see. Class Sg, No. 34. In G. besuchen is to visit, to see, and this is from suchen, which is the Eng. to seek, and to seek is to look for. In G. gesuch is a suit, a seeking, demand, petition; and versuchen is to try, Eng. essay. We have then decisive evidence that see, seek, L. sequor, and Eng. essay, are all from the same radix. The primary sense of the root is to strain, stretch, extend; and as applied to see, the sense is to extend to, to reach, to strike with the eye or sight.]

1. To perceive by the eye; to have knowledge of the existence and apparent qualities of objects by the organs of sight; to behold. I will now turn aside and see this great sight. – Exod. iii. We have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. – Judges xviii.
2. To observe; to note or notice; to know; to regard or look to; to take care; to attend, as to the execution of some order, or to the performance of something. Give them one simple idea, and see that they fully comprehend it before you go any further. – Locke. See that ye fall not out by the way. – Gen. xiv.
3. To discover; to descry; to understand. Who so dull as to not to see the device or stratagem? Very noble actions often lose much of their excellence when the motives are seen.
4. To converse or have intercourse with. We improve by seeing men of different habits and tempers.
5. To visit; as, to call and see a friend. The physician sees his patient twice a day. – 1 Sam. xv. 1 Cor. xvi.
6. To attend; to remark or notice. I had a mind to see him out, and therefore did not care to contradict him. – Addison.
7. To behold with patience or sufferance; to endure. It was not meet for us to see the king's dishonor. – Ezra iv.
8. In Scripture, to hear or attend to. I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. – Rev. i.
9. To feel; to suffer; to experience. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years in which we have seen evil. – Ps. xc. If a man shall keep my saying, he shall never see death. – John viii. Luke ii.
10. To know; to learn. Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren. – Gen. xxxvii.
11. To perceive; to understand; to comprehend. I see the train of argument; I see his motives.
12. To perceive; to understand experimentally. I see another law in my members. – Rom. vii.
13. To beware. See thou do it not. – Rev. xix.
14. To know by revelation. The word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah aud Jerusalem. Is. ii. xiii.
15. To have faith in and reliance on. Seeing him who is invisible. – Heb. xi.
16. To enjoy; to have fruition of. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. – Matth. v.