̈ɪri:d v. & n. --v. (past
and past part. read) 1 tr. (also absol.)
reproduce mentally or (often foll. by
aloud,
out,
off, etc.) vocally
the written or printed words of (a
book,
author, etc.) by
following the symbols
with the eyes or fingers. 2 tr.
convert or be
able to convert
into the
intended words or
meaning (written or
other symbols or the things expressed in
this way). 3 tr.
interpret mentally. 4 tr.
deduce or
declare an (esp. accurate) interpretation of (read the
expression on my face). 5 tr. (often foll. by
that + clause)
find (a thing) recorded or stated in
print etc. (I read
somewhere that
you are leaving). 6 tr. interpret (a
statement or action) in a
certain sense (my
silence is
not to be read as consent). 7 tr. (often foll. by into)
assume as intended or deducible
from a writer's words; find (implications) (you read
too much into my letter). 8 tr.
bring into a specified
state by
reading (read
myself to sleep). 9 tr. (of a meter or other
recording instrument)
show (a specified
figure etc.) (the
thermometer reads 20Û). 10 intr.
convey meaning in a specified
manner when read (it reads persuasively). 11 intr.
sound or affect a hearer or
reader as specified when read (the book reads like a parody). 12 a tr.
study by reading (esp. a
subject at university). b intr.
carry out a
course of study by reading (is reading
for the Bar). 13 tr. (as read adj.) versed in a subject (esp. literature) by reading (a well-read
person;
was widely read in law). 14 tr. a (of a computer)
copy or
transfer (data). b (foll. by
in, out)
enter or
extract (data) in an
electronic storage device. 15 tr. a
understand or interpret (a person) by
hearing words or
seeing signs, gestures, etc. b interpret (cards, a person's
hand, etc.) as a fortune-teller. c interpret (the sky) as an astrologer or meteorologist. 16 tr.
Printing check the correctness of and
emend (a proof). 17 tr. (of an
editor or text)
give as the
word or words probably used or intended by an author. --n. 1 a spell of reading. 2 colloq. a book etc. as regards
its readability (is a
really good read). øread
between the lines
look for or find
hidden meaning (in a
document etc.). read-in the
entry of
data in an electronic storage device. read a person like a book understand a person's motives etc. read-only
memory Computing a memory read at
high speed but not
capable of
being changed by program instructions. read out 1 read aloud. 2 US
expel from a
political party etc. read-out
information retrieved from a
computer. read up
make a
special study of (a subject). read-write Computing capable of reading existing data and accepting alterations or
further input (cf. read-only memory). [OE ródan
advise,
consider,
discern f. Gmc]
