knows

verbunderstand information
verbbe familiar with

Synonyms for knows

verb understand information

Antonyms for knows

Word Origin & History

Old English cnawan (class VII strong verb; past tense cneow, past participle cnawen), "to know, perceive; acknowledge, declare," from Proto-Germanic *knew- (cf. Old High German bi-chnaan, ir-chnaan "to know"), from PIE root *gno- "to know" (cf. Old Persian xšnasatiy "he shall know;" Old Church Slavonic znati, Russian znat "to know;" Latin gnoscere; Greek *gno-, as in gignoskein; Sanskrit jna- "know"). Once widespread in Germanic, this form is now retained only in English, where however it has widespread application, covering meanings that require two or more verbs in other languages (e.g. German wissen, kennen, erkennen and in part können; French connaître, savoir; Latin novisse, cognoscere; Old Church Slavonic znaja, vemi). The Anglo-Saxons used two distinct words for this, witan (see wit) and cnawan.

Meaning "to have sexual intercourse with" is attested from c.1200, from the Old Testament. To not know one's ass from one's elbow is from 1930. To know better "to have learned from experience" is from 1704. You know as a parenthetical filler is from 1712, but it has roots in 14c. To know too much (to be allowed to live, escape, etc.) is from 1872. As an expression of surprise, what do you know attested by 1914.

Example Sentences for knows

No one knows what that man suffers; it makes him gloomy all the time about everything.

I don't believe he will blame me when he knows the circumstances.

They are valuable, but he can do but common things with them because he knows not their possibilities.

"Captain Haley knows very well the falsehood of what he says," said our hero, calmly.

Come on; who knows how it is with the old man and little maid?

But no one knows whither it is bound, and that is what makes life so interesting.

My mother, I thought, might have withdrawn with me, as she knows that I have not a friend in my sister.

This man, somehow or other, knows every thing that passes in our family.

All I can do is to go away where no one knows me, and begin over again.

Tell her, said my mother to Betty, she knows upon what terms she may come down to us.