Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM-PRE-HEND', v.t. [L. comprehendo; con and prehendo, to seize or grasp; It. comprendere, prendere; Sp. and Port. comprehender, prender; Fr. comprendre, prendre. This word is a compound of the Latin con and præ, and the Saxon hendan or hentan, to take or seize; ge-hentan, id. Hence forehend, in Spenser. Literally, to take in; to take with, or together.]

1. To contain; to include; to comprise. The empire of Great Britain comprehends England, Scotland and Ireland, with their dependencies.
2. To imply; to contain or include by implication or construction. If there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. – Rom. xiii.
3. To understand; to conceive; that is, to take, hold or contain in the mind; to possess or to have in idea; according to the popular phrase, “I take your meaning.” God doeth great things, which we can not comprehend. – Job. xxxvii. It is not always safe to disbelieve a proposition or statement, because we do not comprehend it.