read

/rid/

/rid/

Other forms: reading; reads

To read is to scan and understand letters and words, making sense of language. You can also read into something, interpreting a meaning.

Usually a verb, read can also be a noun, as in “That book is a quick read.” There are several different roots credited with being the ancestor of read, each with different meanings. One meant "to counsel and advise," which might remind you of having your fortune read by a fortune teller, while another meant "gather up," which is what you do with the information a book you read contains.

Definitions of read

1. verb

   look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed
   “The King will read the proclamation at noon”

   types:

   numerate

   read out loud as words written numbers

   dictate

   say out loud for the purpose of recording

   call

   read aloud to check for omissions or absentees

   type of:

   mouth, speak, talk, utter, verbalise, verbalize

   express in speech
2. verb

   interpret something that is written or printed
   “read the advertisement”

   “Have you read Salman Rushdie?”

   synonyms:

   say

   have or contain a certain wording or form

   types:

   anagram, anagrammatise, anagrammatize

   read letters out of order to discover a hidden meaning

   reread

   read anew; read again

   dip into

   read selectively; read only certain passages from a text

   decipher, trace

   read with difficulty

   skim, skim over

   read superficially

   lip-read, lipread, speech-read

   interpret by lipreading; of deaf people

   type of:

   construe, interpret, see

   make sense of; assign a meaning to
3. verb

   make sense of a language
   “Can you read Greek?”

   synonyms: interpret, translate, understand

   type of:

   understand

   know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
4. verb

   be a student of a certain subject
   “She is reading for the bar exam”

   synonyms: learn, study, take

   types:

   audit

   attend academic courses without getting credit

   prepare, train

   undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession

   drill, exercise, practice, practise

   learn by repetition

   apprentice

   be or work as an apprentice

   retrain

   train again

   drill

   undergo military training or do military exercises
5. verb

   audition for a stage role by reading parts of a role
   type of:

   audition, try out

   perform in order to get a role
6. noun

   something that is read
   “the article was a very good read”

   type of:

   publication

   a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
7. verb

   have or contain a certain wording or form
   “The passage reads as follows”

   synonyms: say

   type of:

   feature, have

   have as a feature
8. verb

   indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments
   “The gauge read `empty'”

   synonyms: record, register, show

   types:

   say

   indicate

   show

   give evidence of, as of records

   strike

   indicate (a certain time) by striking

   attest

   establish or verify the usage of

   surcharge

   show an omission in (an account) for which credit ought to have been given

   type of:

   indicate

   state or express briefly
9. verb

   interpret the significance of, as of palms, tea leaves, intestines, the sky; also of human behavior
   “She read the sky and predicted rain”

   “I can't read his strange behavior”

   “The fortune teller read his fate in the crystal ball”

   synonyms:

   take

   interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression

   types:

   scry

   divine by gazing into crystals

   type of:

   anticipate, call, forebode, foretell, predict, prognosticate, promise

   make a prediction about; tell in advance
10. verb

    interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression
    “I read this address as a satire”

    synonyms: take

    types:

    misinterpret, misread

    interpret wrongly

    type of:

    construe, interpret, see

    make sense of; assign a meaning to
11. verb

    to hear and understand
    “I read you loud and clear!”

    synonyms:

    take

    interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression

    type of:

    understand

    know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
12. verb

    obtain data from magnetic tapes
    “This dictionary can be read by the computer”

    synonyms: scan

    types:

    misread

    read or interpret wrongly

    type of:

    construe, interpret, see

    make sense of; assign a meaning to