Emily Dickinson Lexicon

REAS-ON, v.i. [Fr. raisonner; Sax. ræswian.]

1. To exercise the faculty of reason; to deduce inference justly from premises. Brutes do not reason; children reason imperfectly.
2. To argue; to infer conclusions from premises, or to deduce new or unknown propositions from previous propositions which are known or evident. To reason justly, is to infer from propositions which are known, admitted or evident the conclusions which are natural, or which necessarily result from them. Men may reason within themselves; they may reason before a court or legislature; they may reason wrong as well as right.
3. To debate; to confer or inquire by discussion or mutual communication of thoughts, arguments, or reasons. And they reasoned among themselves. – Matth. xvi. To reason with, to argue with; to endeavor to inform, convince or persuade by argument. Reason with a profligate son, and if possible, persuade him of his errors. #2. To discourse; to talk; to take or give an account. Stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord. [Obs.] – 1 Sam. xii.