| 释义 |
knowledgen. Origin: Probably formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: know v., English -lec. Etymology: Probably < know v. + late Old English -lec, apparently an alteration of either -lāc -lock suffix or -laik suffix (or the early Scandinavian etymon of the latter; compare Old Icelandic -leikr ), after Old English -lǣcan -leche suffix. The early predominance of the word in Danelaw areas perhaps lends weight to the identification of the altered suffix as -laik suffix or its etymon (-laik suffix is first attested in English at the end of the 12th cent.). Compare Old Icelandic kunnleikr knowledge, intelligence, intimacy, familiarity (also kunnleiki ; < kunnr couth adj. + -leikr -laik suffix), a partial semantic parallel of the English noun, and also (rare) knáleikr prowess, hardiness ( < knár hardy, vigorous ( < the same Germanic base as know v.) + -leikr -laik suffix). With the formation compare later wouhleche n., also a deverbal noun apparently formed with the same suffix. Compare later knowledge v., and see discussion at that entry. Compare also slightly later knowing n., which this word partly superseded.The origin of the word is difficult to determine with certainty, as is the question of its relationship to knowledge v. The difference between the noun and verb in terms of both the chronology and provenance of their early attestations is remarkable: the noun is attested earlier (in an apparently isolated example) in an east midland source from the first half of the 12th cent., but not again until the 14th cent. and then predominantly in sources from former Danelaw areas; whereas the verb is widely attested from the early 13th cent. onwards (largely in southern sources) both in its simplex and prefixed forms, and remains rare in northern sources before the 15th cent.; compare discussion at knowledge v. These factors seem to favour the view that noun and verb have quite separate etymologies, rather than, as some have thought, that the noun derives from the verb, or (even less likely) the verb from the noun. For explanation of the β. forms see discussion at knowledge v.; they are attested from the late 14th cent., apparently earliest in northern sources. The semantic range of the word largely reflects that of know v. Moreover, many senses are influenced by classical Latin terms of cognition; for example, sense 4a is after classical Latin intelligentia intelligence n., senses 7 and 6a are originally after classical Latin nōtitia notitia n., and sense 4b is originally after classical Latin scientia science n. The now standard pronunciation with short stem vowel has developed from a form with Middle English reduction of the diphthong ou to short ŏ (see E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §14). An alternative pronunciation reflecting the usual development of Middle English ou to long open ō is recorded by the 16th-cent. orthoepist John Hart, and persisted into the 20th cent. (no doubt influenced by the pronunciation of know v.); thus N.E.D. (1901) records an occasional pronunciation (nōu·lėdʒ) /ˈnəʊlɪdʒ/, as do various editions of Webster (from 1911 onwards; labelled as ‘sometimes, especially in British usage’), and D. Jones Eng. Pronunc. Dict. up to ed. 13 (1969; labelled as ‘rare’). On the voiced affricate of the β. forms see discussion at knowledge v. I. Acknowledgement or recognition. †1. the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement or recognition > [noun] lOE (Laud) (Peterborough interpolation) anno 963 Ic tyðe þet ealle þa þing þe her is gifen & sprecon & ealle þa þing þe þin forgengles & min geatton, þa wille ic þet hit stande..& ic gife to cnawlece Sancte Peter min messehacel and min stol and min ræf Criste to þeuwian. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 11193 To mak knaulage [Trin. Cambr. knowleche] wit sum-thing Til sir august, þair ouer-king. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 12162 Mang barns als barn i wit yow spac, To me knaulage [Gött. knauleche, Fairf. knawlage, Trin. Cambr. knowleche] nan wald ye tac. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 27355 (MED) For nakin scam þat he ne mak Opine knaulage of all his sak. a1464 J. Capgrave (Cambr.) 9 (MED) He mad certeyn ymages representing God; and thouȝ he erred..ȝet he excited many hertes to the knolwech of God. 1491–2 (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1491 §11. m. 5 If the..seid knowlege had never be made. 1531–2 c. 6 §1 The maires of the Stapull..might laufully take reconisance or knowledge for dettes. 1548 f. ccliiiv In knowlege of our superioritie ouer them. 1579 (new ed.) f. 174 There is an other kind of reliefe that..is paied as a knowledge of the tenure betwene ye lord and the tenant. the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > recognition > [noun] c1330 (Auch.) (1966) l. 482 (MED) No forþer þan þe tounes ende For knoweleche no durst wende. c1450 (1905) II. 400 (MED) None knew hym, ffor with fastyng & with wakyng he made hym selfe lene and oute of knowlege. a1505 R. Henryson Test. Cresseid l. 393 in (1981) 123 Sum had na knawlege Of hir becaus scho was sa deformait. 1579 T. North tr. Plutarch 432 Demetrius..stale away secretly, disguised in a threde bare cloke..to kepe him from knowledge. society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > trying or hearing of cause > [noun] 1398 in J. Slater (Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of Edinb.) (1952) No. 38 The wardanis sal be haldyn for to bryng that mysdoar..to knawlage of marche and qwha sa beis fondin culpable [etc.]. 1424 (1814) II. 4/2 He sall cheis lele men and discret..the quhilkis sall byde knawlege befor the King gif thai haif done thair deuoir. 1472–3 (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1472 1st Roll §8. m. 36 After suche serches, enquerres, and knoweleche taken and had. 1497 in G. Neilson & H. Paton (1918) II. 77 That he [sc. the sheriff] tak knawlage probacione or inquisicione apone the ground of this watter gang gif [etc.]. 1526 Acts xxv. 21 When Paul had appealed to be kept vnto the knowledge [c1384 Wycliffite, E.V. knowinge; Geneva examination; 1611 hearing] off Cesar. 1732 J. Louthian (ed. 2) 272 And remit them and the Libel, as found relevant, to the Knowledge of an Assize. 1817 23 July 3/3 The Court..remitted the panel with the indictment so found relevant to the knowledge of an assize. 1852 W. Forsyth vi. 142 The mode originally adopted..was to refer the question to the knowledge of the comitatus or county. 1863 7 539 The case was not permitted to take the usual course that follows when an indictment has been remitted to the knowledge of an assize. 1950 65 264 The remission of the accused to the knowledge of an assize. 1996 B. P. Levack in J. Barry et al. iv. 106 It specifically reserved to the Council the decision whether to put the interrogated suspects to the knowledge of an assize. II. The fact or condition of knowing something. 3. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > familiarity > [noun] the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > state of being acquainted > specific with a person c1384 (N.Y. Publ. Lib.) (1850) Rom. Prol. 298 Ȝee forsothe ben Jentilis, or paynymes..the whiche neuere hadden knouleche of God. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 15931 Coth petre, ‘knaulage [Fairf. knawlage, Gött. c[n]aulage] of him had i neuer nan’. 1484 W. Caxton tr. i I herd of two marchaunts whiche neuer had sene eche other..but they had knowleche eche of the other by theyr lettres. 1489 (a1380) J. Barbour (Adv.) i. 337 Knawlage off mony statis May quhile awailȝe full mony gatis. 1535 2 Chron. viii. 18 Hiram sent him shippes by his seruauntes which had knowlege of the See. 1618 S. Latham xxxiii. 147 By which meanes with her naturall education together, shee will bee as perfect in knowledge of the country, as..her naturall damme that bred her. 1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius 169 The Antient Geographers..had no knowledge of these Tartars. 1708 J. Swift Elegy on Partridge in (1751) IV. 199 I had some sort of knowledge of him when I was employ'd in the Revenue. 1771 ‘Junius’ (1772) II. liv. 228 His knowledge of human nature must be limited indeed. 1836 C. Dickens (1837) xx. 204 Mr. Weller's knowledge of London was extensive and peculiar. 1860 J. Tyndall i. x. 67 Thus expanding my knowledge of the glaciers. 1894 A. C. Haddon 184 The term Massim..originally arose from an imperfect knowledge of the island of Misima. 1907 B. Tarkington viii. 126 I've often seen them in Paris, though I believe they have no knowledge of me. 1939 T. L. Green i. 152 The widespread distribution of the rabbit and its extreme commoness result in a general knowledge of its habits, its colonial or social life, feeding habits and life history. 1981 R. Dawson iv. 38 A deep knowledge of the culture is necessary before one can understand all the implications of the terms used. 2008 13 May d1/1 Other neighbors include Buckeye, a woodswoman with incredible knowledge of the woods and Indiana pioneering. the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > state of being acquainted the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun] > state of being acquainted > acquaintance > those with whom one is acquainted 1389 in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt (1931) 45 (MED) Þe brethren & sustren of þe bretherhede..shul euery ȝer come & hold to geder, for to norishe more knowelech & loue, a fest. a1425 (c1395) (Royal) (1850) Luke ii. 44 Thei..souȝten hym among hise cosyns and hise knouleche [c1384 E.V. knowen; L. inter cognatos et notos]. 1480 (Caxton) (1964) 3 Ye mete ony That ye knowe, Or that they be of your knowelech [Fr. de vostre cognoissance]. 1509 J. Fisher (de Worde) sig. Aii v She was bounteous & lyberall to euery persone of her knowlege or aquayntaunce. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) i. ii. 275 I shall desire more loue and knowledge of you. View more context for this quotation 1763 T. Percy Let. 3 Jan. in (1951) III. 80 Could you introduce me to the knowledge of any Gentleman, who has access to that Library. the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual activity > [noun] > sexual intercourse a1400 (a1325) (Trin. Cambr.) l. 11056 Þe ton was ȝonge mayden þon þe toþer had knowleche wiþ mon. a1438 (1940) i. 21 (MED) Hyr husbond wold haue had knowlach of hir as he was wone be-for. 1540 c. 38 §2 Such mariages beyng..consummate with bodily knowlage. a1633 Abp. G. Abbot (1715) (modernized text) I. 118 [He] did marry a Lady, the Knowledge of whose Body he never had, neither did this wedded Couple ever endeavour to break their Virginity. 1686 in (1852) I. 176 He was accused of having Carnall Knowledge of his Brother in Law's women Servants. 1777 i. iii. 38 Whether..the impediment of pre-contracts is entirely abolished, when consummated with bodily knowledge. 1848 G. Waterhouse & H. Goldthwaite vii. 146 Olimpius..would, that we totally abstain from the knowledge of women. 1853 10 502 The case of a male person's knowingly having sexual knowledge of an insane female without resistance on her part. 1963 R. Von Abele xii. 372 He was seized with a sudden fury to have knowledge of her—for some reason the phrase appeared in his head, and he could not cancel it, ridiculous though it sounded. 1998 S. P. Fishelman viii. 108 The American who wants physical knowledge of numerous and beautiful women in plush hotels from Bermuda to Geneva. 4. the mind > mental capacity > understanding > [noun] a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) (1871) III. 217 Meny þinges be..i-hud from manis knowleche [L. intelligentia]..meny þinges passe þe knoweleche [L. intelligentiam] of man. a1450 in J. Kail (1904) 87 (MED) Þou myȝt forbere and nouȝt trespas; I lente þe knoweleche and fre wille. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. (Rawl.) (1898) 212 A stronge argument to Shewe..the Sotilte of thy knowleche. ?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in (1998) I. 49 Ay the fule did forȝet for febilnes of knawlege. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > [noun] the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > [noun] > what is true the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > sharpness, shrewdness, insight > [noun] > clarity a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. ii. 60 Spiritis þat beþ also iclepid intelligencie beþ ful of schappis and liknes, þat nediþ to haue knowlech and konnynge. 1495 (de Worde) i. sig. Aiijv/2 By hys symple knowlege [he] knoweth al thynges, present & to be. 1531 T. Elyot iii. xxv. sig. hv Experience..whereby knowlege is ratified, and (as I mought saye) consolidate. a1555 H. Latimer (1845) 337 There is a great discrepance between certain knowledge and clear knowledge. 1593 Queen Elizabeth I tr. Boethius De Consolatione Philosophiæ in (1899) pr. v. 115 That is not opinion, but an included purenes of the hyest knoledge [L. scientiae] that is shut in no lymites. 1628 T. Spencer 8 In this, mans knowledge differs from the knowledge that is in God and the Angels: in that they behold the things in themselues, as they are in themselues, distinct each from other: they doe not know one thing lesse knowne, by the light and reflection of another thing, that is better knowne: wherefore their knowledge, is called intellection, ours is called rationalitie. 1690 J. Locke iv. i. 261 Knowledge..seems to me to be nothing but the perception of the connexion and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of any of our Ideas. 1704 J. Norris II. iii. 146 Immediate knowledge, or knowledge of the principle, we may call intuitive, because the mind then in one and the same view that it perceives the ideas, perceives also their relations. 1760 E. Macfait 130 It is proposed [in Plato's Theætetus] to enquire into the nature of knowledge. 1828 R. Whately Diss. Reasoning ii. §2 in 230 Knowledge..implies..firm belief,..of what is true,..on sufficient grounds. 1857 H. T. Buckle I. v. 246 The knowledge on which all civilization is based, solely consists in an acquaintance with the relations which things and ideas bear to each other and to themselves. 1877 E. R. Conder iv. 193 Knowledge is composed of judgments: the criteria of the judgments composing it being truth and certainty. 1912 D. C. Macintosh i. 63 The..doctrine that all true knowledge is the elaboration of pure experience by thought. 2003 K. A. Appiah ii. 43 Typically, philosophers have first argued for the view that knowledge is justified true belief and then gone on to ask the question ‘What kind of justification do you need in order to have knowledge?’ a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. ii. 60 Mannes vndirstondinge and inwit gadrith knowleche of somme þing of þe knowleche of oþir þinges. ?c1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac (Paris) (1971) 542 (MED) Þe knowleche of þe effectes is more certeyne to vs leches þan the knowleches of þe causes. 1516 R. Fabyan i. vii. f. clxvii It is ouersubtely excused, or soo darkely or mystly wryten, that the Reader therof shall hardely come to ye knowledge of the trouthe. 1547 sig. F.ij. He, that readethe Cesars Commentaries..hath therby a knoweledge of Cesars life, and noble actes. 1564 P. Moore i. 8. f. Aviiv As for the knowledge of special, or particular differences of eche parte of euery member, I referre the Reader to bookes Anatomies. 1627 W. Duncomb tr. V. d'Audiguier i. 9 She prevented him..with such premeditated avoidings, that he judged she had knowledge of his designe. 1670 T. S. & A. Roberts 146 They do it by the Knowledges that they have of Nature. 1716 M. Davies Diss. Physick 12 in III The knowledge of all the Medicinals, that they could come any way to be acquainted with. 1775 tr. D. Cotugno p. xvii If all those who commence Students in rational Physic, would diligently endeavour to obtain a knowledge of the fabric of the human body. 1837 Aug. 49 Since the days of our fathers..it is by no means certain that we have advanced in the knowledge of our duties towards heaven. 1878 W. S. Jevons iii. 31 Knowledge of nature consists, to a great extent, in understanding the causes of things. 1932 A. Bell vii. 84 I have heard the men..expostulate with the master on some order being given them, through knowledge of the state of a field. 1992 D. Lessing 20 I was obsessed with Time, always had been,..I had been born with a knowledge of its sleights and deceptions. 2008 A. Davies 86 [He] used his knowledge of alarm systems to steal $65 million worth of Renaissance figures from a Vienna museum. the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > [noun] > state of awareness the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > [noun] > product of perception the mind > mental capacity > understanding > [noun] > understanding, comprehension > an act of a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. i. xvi. 52 He knowiþ al þing wiþ on symple knowleche, þat was and is and schal be. 1531 tr. E. Fox et al. i. f. 15v God..hadde grauen nowe alredy in his [sc. Adam's] soule, with his fynger of the holy goste, certayne generall vnder standynges, perceyuynges, and knowleges. 1563 sig. Ee.iiv To haue a knowledge of the power and diuinitie of God. 1626 T. Hawkins tr. N. Caussin I. 123 To proceed..by such knowledges, as are common, with brute beastes, and forsake those of men. 1825 S. T. Coleridge 160 It is the office..of Reason to bring a unity into all our conceptions and several knowledges. a1856 W. Hamilton (1859) I. iii. 57 These two cognitions or knowledges have, accordingly, received different names. 1920 M. Austin 241 Little knowledges of him like this came to her out of their enlarged intercourse, for they saw one another almost daily. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. ii. ii. 60 Þis aungelis kynde haþ no socour of no bodiliche mater... Þerfore no knowleche by bodiliche wittis [L. sensualis cognitio] may lette his inwit þat is godliche. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. (Rawl.) (1898) 208 (MED) By the eeris we haue knowlech of Sovne. 1655 Duchess of Newcastle lxxvii. 43 Our ears have the Knowledge of sound, but our eyes are ignorant of the Knowledge thereof. 1690 J. Locke iv. iii. 269 Sensitive Knowledge reaching no farther than the Existence of Things actually present to our Senses. 1738 Nov. 580/1 Substance is the proper and only Object of the Senses; yet these can know no more of it than what is present with them... And this is the Knowledge, and all the Knowledge they have of such Substance. 1830 July 6 Things which are remote from the familiar knowledge of the senses. 1853 Let. 12 Jan. in A. Alison (1855) I. (Advt. section) 4 The battlefield, old fort, and homestead, made memorably by some Revolutionary event, are brought to the knowledge of the eye. 1949 A. Miller 159 Plato's suggestion that Greek art was concerned only with the external.., and that the artist's, or the eye's knowledge is invalid, while the soul's knowledge..is higher and therefore final. 1999 M. Kirkham 28 The poem..translates into words the eye's knowledge of the surfaces and interiors of animal skulls. the world > health and disease > healing > diagnosis or prognosis > [noun] > diagnosis ?1541 R. Copland Galen's Fourth Bk. Terapeutyke sig. Biij, in The prymytyfe cause serueth nothynge to the indicion of curynge, althoughe it be vtyle to the knowledge of the dysease, to them that haue knowen the nature of venymous beastes by vse and experience, and therof taketh curatyfe indicion. 1655 N. Culpeper et al. tr. L. Rivière x. v. 292 The Knowledg in general is manifest... That Parts sending have a more difficult Diagnosis or way of Knowledg. 1704 R. Pitt 154 The Physicians, who work under them, begin the Cure, before they have begun the knowledge of the Disease. 1779 W. Grant (ed. 3) I. Introd. p. xiii Let no drug of any kind be taken without advice, and let none be advised till, from a specific knowledge of the disease, there is an indubitable indication of cure. 1800 W. C. Brown tr. G. Borsieri de Kanifeld I. p. xii For who is capable of attaining the knowledge of a disease, its causes and effects,..without a previous acquaintance with the structure of the living system in health?] 5. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > [noun] 1393–4 in (1836) III. 256 (MED) On to the herynge and opyn knwlech of all manere folk, We John Ferrers, [etc.]. 1447–8 in S. A. Moore (1871) ii. 97 Which mynysters..laboured to save the saide Hues lyf..withoute comaundement or knouleche of the saide Dean and Chapitre. a1500 (a1450) (Trin. Cambr.) l. 1251 (MED) She had knowlache of his comyng. 1548 f. cc So that this ciuill warre should seme to all men, to haue been begon without his assent or knowledge. 1590 H. Roberts sig. G4 He was not assured whether he spake vpon surmise, or that he had some secret knowledge of his loue to Susania. 1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta iv. viii. 230 They labour in these mines in continuall darkenes and obscuritie, without knowledge of day or night. 1689 10 The most Tragical Act, (which if not committed by him, yet was no less permitted by him in his own House, which was the same thing, while he had knowledge of the Fact). 1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer I. ii. 185 'Till big with knowledge of approaching woes The Prince of Augurs, Halitherses, rose. 1785 F. Grose Worm, to worm out, to obtain the knowledge of a secret by craft. 1816 Ld. Byron xvi. 11 The very knowledge that he lived in vain. 1885 J. Martineau (ed. 2) I. i. xi. §8. 212 Any..instance of rational apprehension, e.g. our knowledge that the surface of a sphere is equal to the area of a circle of twice its diameter. 1963 A. Trocchi 78 The one vital coil in him is the bitter knowledge that he can choose to fix again. 1975 M. Duffy iii. 143 The knowledge of his toothlessness stopped him from answering. 2006 J. T. Costa xx. 667 I take some comfort in the knowledge that book-length treatments of some of these groups are under way. the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > [noun] 1590 H. Barrow in 66 All praier must be of faith for such things as are within our knowledge. 1647 T. May ii. i. 9 With a full information of all particulars within his knowledge. 1790 W. Bligh 49 The trees that came within our knowledge were the manchineal and a species of purow. 1824 27 Sept. 3/3 Mrs. Urquhart confirmed the evidence of Mrs. Rogers, as far as the circumstances came within her knowledge. 1873 A. Helps i. 15 I will give you the most recent case within my knowledge. 1927 E. A. Robinson 99 One of King Arthur's barges..comes here to Brittany, And for a cause that lives outside my knowledge. 1963 D. G. Pritchard i. 4 Rodolphus Agricola..mentions as within his knowledge that a deaf and dumb person had been taught to write and note down his thoughts. 1991 S. Munro-Hay xiv. 252 Mobility between classes, inheritance, marriage status or other family arrangements are all at present quite outside our knowledge. 6. the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > [noun] > skill or knowledge ?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 7v And by þise manerez in bodiez of men & of apez, of swyne & of many oþer bestez, G[alien] come to þe knewelyc[h] [L. noticiam] of anathomie. c1450 J. Capgrave (1910) 3 He had so grete knowlech of both tongis þat all his bokys he mad in Latyn. c1480 (a1400) St. Ninian 130 in W. M. Metcalfe (1896) II. 308 Þane trawalit he besyli, til he in knavlege of clergy..[wes] wise Inuch. ?1507 W. Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen (Rouen) in (1998) I. 53 Folk a cury may miscuke that knawlege wantis. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane f. cci He had no greate knoweledge in the latyn tongue. 1572 (a1500) (1882) 327 The King had greit knawledge the countrie to ken. 1615 T. Heywood iv. sig. B2 I hold it no disparage to my birth, Though I be borne an Earle, to haue the skill And the full knowledge of the Mercers Trade. 1669 S. Sturmy i. 15 Mariners brought up in Practical Knowledge of Navigation at Sea. 1739 S. Johnson in Feb. 72 A very uncommon Knowledge of the mathematick. 1787 ‘P. Pindar’ (ed. 5) iii. 9 With scarce more knowledges than these, He earns a Guinea ev'ry Day with ease. 1796 C. Burney III. i. viii. 25 Possessed of that knowledge in the Greek and Roman classics, at which few arrive in riper years. 1841 E. W. Lane tr. I. 85 A knowledge of all the medical and other sciences. 1851 IV. 1278 This article is..made by young women who have no knowledge of drawing. 1895 J. M. Falkner xiii. 193 My knowledge of Italian was so slight that I could neither make him understand what I would be at, nor comprehend in turn what he replied. 1939 C. von Fürer-Haimendorf i. 7 I left Viceregal Lodge enriched..in my knowledge of Naga cuisine. 1982 (Nexis) 20 Apr. 23 The numerous application programs and modelling tools..require little or no knowledge of programming. 2002 28 Feb. 34/3 Knowledge of English is not much use to her when she is confronted with monolingual Finnish speakers. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > scholarly knowledge, erudition > [noun] > scholarliness the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > scholarly knowledge, erudition > [noun] c1475 (Trin. Cambr.) (1927) l. 1986 (MED) The pure mesure of eche thyng she [sc. Geometry] sought, And by her craft to pure knowlage she brought. 1477 Earl Rivers tr. (Caxton) (1877) lf. 14 Knowlege is better than ignoraunce. 1576 A. Fleming 434 (margin) Cambridge and Oxenford the twoe lampes of England, for learning, knowledge, etc. 1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie (1895) II. 71 In gret honour for his eruditioun and knawledge. 1611 Ecclus. i. 18 Hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. View more context for this quotation 1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer III. xii. Observ. 218 It could not fail of raising the curiosity of a wise man, to be acquainted with persons of such extensive knowledge. 1825 C. Waterton iii. iii. 270 There is a vast deal of knowledge to be picked up..whichever way we turn ourselves. 1856 J. Ruskin III. 37 The highest knowledge always involves a more advanced perception of the fields of the unknown. 1895 May 350 A ‘practical short-cut’ by which uneducated or ineducable men are helped to the rewards of knowledge or skill. 1947 J. Steinbeck iii. 44 He could not take the chance of putting his certain ignorance against this man's possible knowledge. 1987 28 Nov. 12/1 What you have to do is use your skill, knowledge and judgment to determine that exact position selected for the ball. 2001 Dec. 8/1 People like me—‘one man bands’ whose only product is their service, knowledge and expertise. III. The object of knowing; something known or made known. society > communication > information > [noun] a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. lxii. 1212 Oon in Constantinople..hadde an yrchoun and knewe and warnede þerby þat wyndes schulde come and of what syde, and none of his neighebours wiste wherby he hadde such knowleche and warnynge [L. noticiam]. 1417 in H. Ellis (1846) 3rd Ser. I. 62 (MED) We remitte hem to have ful declaracion and verrai knaweleche of you in that matere. a1500 (1839) 11 He yaff knoleage to his peple that he wulde holde withe the Erle of Warwyke. 1569 R. Grafton II. 317 He imediatly sent knowledge into the whole countrie. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy xxvi. xxvi. 603 There hee published and gave knowledge, That hee would shape his course from thence for Anticyra. 1625 Orders Infected Houses in Shall giue knowledge thereof to the Examiner of health. society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > [noun] ?c1475 (BL Add. 15562) f. 70 Knawlege, nota..specimen. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart I. cclxxviii. 416 At theyr departyng they thought to make a knowledge that they had ben there; for they set the subbarbes afyre. 1555 W. Waterman tr. J. Boemus ii. iv. 141 Thei deuised..circumcision, because thei would haue a notable knowledge betwene them and other nacions. 9. society > education > learning > study > subject or object of study > [noun] > a department of study ?1530 Sir T. Eliot tr. Plutarch (?1532) vii. sig. Dv The wytte and studye of man hath dyuysed a double science or knowlege for the good gouernaunce of the body, that is to saye phisike and exercise: Of the whiche, the one bryngeth helth, thother good habite or personage: onely the gryues and diseases of the soule and mynde, phylosophye cureth and maketh hoole. 1555 L. Digges sig. *iv I will shortly..take some payne in publisshyng the wonderfull vnknowen pleasant profites of these dispraysed hyghe knowleges. a1586 Sir P. Sidney (1595) sig. B2 Poetry,..the..first Nurse, whose milk by little and little enabled them to feed afterwards of tougher knowledges. 1605 F. Bacon ii. sig. Qq4 The Mathematiques, which are the most abstracted of knowledges . View more context for this quotation 1662 J. Chandler tr. F. M. van Helmont in tr. J. B. van Helmont To Rdr. Many clear fundamental Knowledges and Arts. 1739 J. B. de Freval tr. N. A. Pluche IV. 419 Chuse..ten thousand other Instances of effectual Knowledge... These Knowledges cannot increase without our becoming richer. 1774 N. D. Falck Pref. p. ii Of all the various knowledges that distinguish the human species from the brute creation, what is of more value than that which tends to the preservation of life and health? 1825 S. T. Coleridge Pref. p. x A land abounding with men, able in arts, learning, and knowledges manifold. 1841 I. D'Israeli II. 34 The learning of that day..was laying the foundations of every knowledge in the soil of England. 1860 G. P. Marsh 28 The superior attractions and supposed claims of other knowledges. 1907 C. Davenport ii. 46 A librarian must be an antiquary, a goldsmith and silversmith.., and if he fails in one of these knowledges his judgment cannot be relied on. 1935 5 Jan. 16/5 In the typical school to-day the time was so filled up with the learning of traditional knowledges and skills that little time was left for anything else. 1994 15 127 A key part of Foucault's work is his analysis of how various knowledges and disciplines—medical..penitential, sexual, and so on—normalize social institutions and practices in society. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > [noun] > totality 1534 T. Starkey Let. in (1878) i. p. x I..passyd ouer in to Italy, whereas I so delytyd in the contemplacyon of natural knolege. 1572 J. Bridges tr. R. Gwalther iv. 24 This place contayneth much knowledge of things very necessary. a1628 J. Preston (1634) 446 You..may have abundance of emptie and unprofitable knowledge, without Grace. 1667 J. Milton vii. 126 Knowledge is as food, and needs no less Her Temperance over Appetite, to know In measure what the mind may well contain. View more context for this quotation 1704 J. Swift v. 118 Every Branch of Knowledge has received such wonderful Acquirements since his Age. 1753 S. Johnson No. 85. ⁋7 He is by no means to be accounted useless or idle who has stored his mind with acquired knowledge. 1823 T. De Quincey Lett. Young Man in Mar. 334/1 All knowledge may be commodiously distributed into science and erudition. 1833 (title) The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1877 E. R. Conder iv. 139 We speak of knowledge as stored up in books. But in reality what books contain is not knowledge, but only symbols of knowledge. 1905 F. Harrison 16 The Telos of Philosophy is a constructive reorganization of all human knowledge in a synthesis, or correlation of parts. 1936 ‘R. M. Farley’ in Oct. 72/2 Every one of those super-amœbæ is our own little virus himself, with his super-brain stocked with all the accumulated knowledge of the human race. 1961 R. Shaw ii. i. 83 He was most anxious to find the herb so that he could analyse it: to..add to the knowledge of tropical diseases he had already obtained. 2001 2 Jan. ii. 3/1 Captain Ronnie Wallace, MFH, a kind of living repository of all hunting knowledge. 1869 11 June 581/1 The examination as to the driver's knowledge of town..was a great obstacle to many men, for the oldest driver in London might be completely puzzled when examined in that way.] 1936 Apr. 1/2 Can't you picture that unemployed man borrowing the money and then sticking desperately at the ‘Knowledge’, week after week, month after month, urged on..by the ever-present hope that perhaps he will ‘pass’ next week. 1969 M. R. Green 13 Very few people realise just how much time and effort is spent by the apprentice cabby to gain his ‘knowledge’ of London. 1979 15 June 8/5 You spend all that time doing the knowledge, and then you can't earn a living without doing a 16-hour day. 1983 R. Rendell xi. 127 Donaldson..had thought of being a London taxi driver and had gone so far as to ride round on a bicycle to acquire the ‘Knowledge’. 2005 T. Hall viii. 180 He was a local Bangladeshi East Ender who had studied the Knowledge, but failed as a taxi driver because he suffered from road rage. 1982 8 Mar. 46/2 Rather than follow precise ‘how-to’ instructions from their human operators, AI programs sort through the knowledge stored in the computer and decide on their own sequence of steps. 1993 37 262/2 Every AI program has a knowledge base containing knowledge represented in some manner. 2005 12 Dec. 66/1 The more knowledge the programmers built into the search function, the slower the search became. Phrases P1. to take knowledge of. the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > ask, enquire [verb (transitive)] 1399 in (2007) 1399/1/15 The justice sal tak knaulage of the officeris how thai gowerne thaim in thaire officis. 1472–3 (Electronic ed.) Parl. Oct. 1472 1st Roll §41. m. 14 Eny commissioner assigned to enquere, serche and take knoweleche of the forseid .x.th part. the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > recognition > recognize, acknowledge [verb (transitive)] society > communication > indication > that which identifies or distinguishes > identify or distinguish [verb (transitive)] a1400 (a1325) (Gött.) l. 4817 To Ioseph siþen þai soght..Coud þai of him na knaulag [Vesp. kything] take. c1440 (?a1400) (1930) l. 1052 (MED) Now hase Percyuell..Spoken with his emes twoo, Bot neuer one of thoo Took his knawlage. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy xxxiv. xx. 865 The Lacetanes, when they took knowledge of their armor and colours,..sallied out upon them. 1609 P. Holland tr. Ammianus Marcellinus xxvii. ii. 305 When knowledge was taken with exceeding great sorrow, of this overthrow. 1611 Acts iv. 13 They tooke knowledge of them, that they had been with Iesus. View more context for this quotation a1754 E. Erskine (1755) 152 The World about them are ready to Take Knowledge of them, that they have been With Jesus. a1783 H. Brooke Cymbeline v. ix, in (1789) IV. 254 Soft, Adelaide—and note If he takes knowledge of me. 1839 D. H. Porter Jrnl. 30 July in A. T. Drinkwater (1848) xvi. 181 May I drink all my bitter draughts as the Savior did, that those around me may take knowledge of me that I have learned of him. 1849 J. F. Schroeder vi. 298 No one could share her hospitalities, or lodge a night under her roof, and not take knowledge of her, that she and her house served the Lord. 1872 L. Abbott xxiv. 261 I think it is perfectly safe to say that no one would have taken knowledge of him that he had been with Jesus. 1920 June 470/2 Continually may men take knowledge of us that his spirit rules within our hearts. 1993 J. Phillips iii. 153 It is evident in his walk and in his talk that something has happened. People take knowledge of him that he has been with Jesus. the mind > attention and judgement > attention > take notice of, heed [verb (transitive)] 1566 W. Painter tr. O. Landi i. f. 3 Howe should he take knowledge of [Fr. Comment prendroit il congnoissance de] that which he can not blame. 1576 G. Whetstone Castle of Delight 48 in He a hundred times kist both the seale, and superscription, before he aduentured to take knowledge of the hidden message therein. 1592 R. Greene sig. E2 Philippo tooke no knowledge of any thing but past it ouer smoothly, and vsed his former woonted familiaritie to hys wife. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy iv. xxvi. 156 The taking knowledge of such, as pretended to bee freed,..was put off untill the war was ended. 1604 W. Shakespeare ii. i. 13 Take you as t'were some distant knowledge of him. View more context for this quotation 1611 Ruth ii. 10 Why haue I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? View more context for this quotation 1623 J. Robinson Let. 19 Dec. in W. Bradford (1856) 163 So are we glad to take knowledg of it in that fullnes we doe. 1778 W. A. Clarke 74 It is great condescension in the Almighty to take notice of the angelic host, but his condescending to take knowledge of fallen man, is the mystery that angels desire to look into. 1865 G. Bowen 412 God will take knowledge of his necessities, and will see to it that he want no good thing. 1919 23 Aug. 6/3 It may interest those who propose in due course to take action..to take knowledge of the following fact. 1998 H. Hey in H. Stokke et al. ii. 202 Common crimes and offences committed by the military will be taken knowledge of and judged by ordinary courts. P2. the world > physical sensation > physical sensibility > [verb (intransitive)] > recover one's normal consciousness c1400 (?c1380) (1920) l. 1702 Þenne he wayned hym his wyt..Þat he com to knawlach & kenned hym seluen. a1450 (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) l. 7723 (MED) And than she kissed him fel sithe Til he cam til knowlech ageyn. 1490 (1962) xiv. 49 Euyn at these wordes cam the prouost tyl his owne knowlege ageyne. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > have knowledge of [verb (intransitive)] > become known ?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre (1894) II. lf. 262 v Whan this conclusion was comen to the knowleche of cassandra..she began to make..grete sorowe. a1513 R. Fabyan (1516) I. cxxxi. f. lxvii He..ordeyned such meanes as byllys of supplicacion and other, that the causes & matiers of poore men myght come to his knowlege. 1581 J. Marbeck 116 I wil signifie the same vnto our said Lord, or to some other by whom it maie come to his knowledge. 1655 Ld. Orrery III. ii. ii. 171 As soone as this fatall newes came to Pacorus knowledge, he blasphem'd them for it. 1799 (Royal Soc.) 89 163 The most remarkable instance of this kind, that has come to my knowledge, was a Negress. 1882 9 Sept. 5/5 His Highness admits that a case of thumb-screwing has come to his knowledge. 1932 22 494 Not until 1929..did further evidence concerning the modifiability of infection types come to my knowledge. 1992 D. Pannick iv. 114 If information comes to the knowledge of the prosecuting counsel which may assist the defence, he is under obligation to see that it is disclosed. P3. out of (a person's) knowledge. c1450 (1905) II. 400 (MED) None knew hym, ffor with fastyng & with wakyng he made hym selfe lene and oute of knowlege. 1537 3 Kings xx. F [He] put asshes vpon his eyes, and put hym selfe out of knowledge. 1665 R. Head I. xli. 366 This Olla-podrida was so cookt, that the distinction of each creature was sauc'd out of our knowledge. 1754 S. Foote i. 11 Master Timothy is almost grown out of Knowledge, Sir Gregory. 1810 I. Pocock i. iv. 23 If the stripling should be grown out of my knowledge, he may get into the house before I'm aware of it. 1850 C. MacFarlane I. ii. 64 After a few months she was improved out of all knowledge. 1865 C. H. Spence II. ii. 21 I doubt Emily is changed out of my knowledge. I have not seen her since she was four years and a half old. 1923 R. Cortissoz ix. 111 They were almost afraid of nature, painting her with academic moderation, grooming her out of all knowledge. 1984 M. Bradley 105 On some of those worlds some of our people must have remained... Warped out of knowledge by what they had been through. 2004 (Nexis) 14 Mar. 113 For some reason, he's improved out of all knowledge this season. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > that which is unknown > be or become unknown [verb (intransitive)] 1490 (1962) xii. 43 Incontynente that she felte her self to be thus sodaynly kyst of a man straunger out of her knowlege, she [etc.]. 1549 J. Leland sig. Dviiiv That olde name shoulde neuer growe out of knowledge. 1549 T. Chaloner tr. Erasmus sig. Pij v Who suffre Christes name for lacke of theyr daiely remembring, to grow out of the peoples knowlage. 1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens v. xliii. 167 Albeit it be nowe growen out of knowledge, yet we haue thought it good to describe the same. 1623 W. Lisle in tr. Ælfric Pref. 6 The Hebrew it selfe..grew so out of knowledge among the people that they understood not our Saviours Eli, Eli, lammasabactani. 1635 J. Swan Table sig. Ttt4/2 New-found world, how it first grew out of knowledge. 1747 W. Stith v. 292 They left them to be answered by the Governor and Company, as..containing things, either above their Determination, or out of their Knowledge. 1772 Feb. 74/1 (So frequent once) the French disease, Is near grown out of knowledge. 1896 W. W. Hunter ii. 19 Other distinguished officers..who were with him at Haileybury went to Madras and Bombay. But with few exceptions these soon fell out of his knowledge. P4. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > know [phrase] > according to one's knowledge c1500 (1895) 78 He hath wele to his knowlage delyuerd the sone of the grettist kynge that leuyth. 1534 tr. Erasmus sig. Aiiiv Onely I haue herde of him for to my knowlege I neuer sawe his face. 1542 N. Udall in H. Ellis (1843) 3 To my knowlege I have not eftsons offended. a1593 C. Marlowe (c1600) sig. A5v Of my knowledge in one cloyster keeps, Fiue hundred fatte Franciscan Fryers. a1631 J. Donne (1647) ii. vi. §5 No man hath as yet, to my knowledge, impugned this custome of ours. 1669 S. Sturmy ii. vi. 64 Some there are that will not understand,..yet (to my knowledge) are Mates to good Ships. 1706 S. Centlivre iii. 25 Sir Will. He hates the sight of Women. Lady. That's false, to my knowledge—for he said the softest things to me, that Love cou'd form. 1766 O. Goldsmith I. vii. 65 The girl has a great deal to say upon every subject, and to my knowledge is very well skilled in controversy. 1822 Oct. 455/1 Why, man, you've worn that there jacket of yours, to my knowledge, a twelve-month at least. 1851 22 Nov. 546/2 She soon after left the hospital, and was, a week or two since, to Mr. Gay's knowledge, in perfect health. 1892 1 634 There is not the faintest indication, to my knowledge, of the existence of a pleasure centre in the brain. 1920 G. T. Winston v. 68 He was offered to my knowledge an excellent position in Chicago, which he refused. 1935 D. Thomas 9 Dec. (1987) 204 I have never, to my knowledge, read even a paragraph of surrealist literature. 1994 J. Davidson p. xvi A number of the results in the text are, to the author's knowledge, new. 2008 (Nexis) 27 Sept. b5 To my knowledge, there is only one gala that used to be televised. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > know [phrase] > according to one's knowledge 1768 I. Bickerstaff ii. xiii. 34 You'll permit me to say, that, to the best of my knowledge, I am no more married to your daughter than I am to the empress of Russia. 1799 H. Neuman tr. F.-A.-F. de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt I. 237 To the best of my knowledge, none of these free grants include a transfer of the right of property. 1842 Apr. 186/2 To the best of Mr. Caldwell's knowledge, not one Baptized Native has fallen away. 1941 ‘N. Blake’ v. 47 Only Miss Cavendish and myself, to the best of my knowledge, are aware of your real profession. 2004 S. Taylor 119/1 Their favourite band is Talk Talk, who, to the best of this writer's knowledge, never played The Grand Ole Opry. P5. Proverbial uses. 1598 F. Bacon f. 27v Knowledge it selfe is a power whereby he [sc. God] knoweth.] 1693 R. South xi. 369 To say, That in Men Knowledge and Power are Commensurate; nay, That Knowledge is Power. 1806 B. Rush 25 Nov. (1951) II. 935 Perhaps Lord Bacon laid the foundation in part of their madness by the well-known aphorism that ‘knowledge is power’. 1836 T. Jarrold 137 Knowledge is power, and power implies existence. 1853 E. Bulwer-Lytton I. ii. iii. 107 He..said half aloud,—‘Well, knowledge is power!’ 1874 J. S. Blackie 89 The maxim that knowledge is power is true only where knowledge is the main thing wanted. 1943 Spring 18/1 Zooming demands for technical books of many kinds..bear witness to the truth of that ancient copy-book maxim, ‘Knowledge is power’. 1953 Oct. 58/1 While the Communists agree that knowledge is power, they are persuaded that they are already in essential possession of both. 2006 25 Nov. 52/2 If knowledge is power, then today everyone has enormous power. 1746 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 4 Oct. in (1774) I. 238 Mr. Pope says, very truly, ‘A little knowledge is a dang'rous thing’. 1785 Nov. 389 In this age of compilations, and abridgments, and beauties, and seraps, the doctrine cannot be too often repeated A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 1794 H. Repton 15 As ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’, so the professors of every art, as well as that of medicine, will often find that the most difficult cases are those, where the patient has begun quacking himself. 1826 1 Jan. 41/1 A little knowledge is a dangerous thing—and that they should meddle with nothing but physical science and the Bible! 1882 2 249/2 If ever it were true, it is pre-eminently true now, that ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’. 1925 Feb. 38 Wherever you find them they are busy proving that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing—but not making any effort to get more understanding. 1967 40 354/1 For those who realize that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, there is an extensive Bibliography by subject matter at the end of the volume. 2009 (Nexis) 22 July 30 When it comes to life or death, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. P6. Chiefly Philosophy. a1795 B. Beddome (1835) xviii. 122 The knowledge that the person had before was like that of the queen of Sheba in her own country—a knowledge of report and hearsay; but now it is a knowledge of acquaintance. 1884 A. Maclaren (Second ser.) v. 66 You have known about Jesus Christ all your lives, and yet, in a real, deep sense you do not know Him at this moment. For the knowledge of which my text speaks is the knowledge by acquaintance with a person rather than the knowledge that a man may have of a book. 1911 B. Russell in 11 127 We began by distinguishing two sorts of knowledge of objects, namely, knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description. Of these it is only the former that brings the object itself before the mind. 1954 J. A. C. Brown iii. 95 Two kinds of knowledge: ‘knowledge-about’, based on reflexion and abstract thinking, and ‘knowledge-of-acquaintance’, based on direct experience. 2000 15 June 64/1 Bertrand Russell had this right years ago in his distinction between knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > [noun] > obtained from description 1885 W. James in 10 28 An interminable acquaintance, leading to no knowledge-about. 1945 E. Mayo (1949) i. i. 15 The student is required to relate his logical knowledge-about to his own direct acquaintance with the facts. 1999 R. K. C. Forman vii. 117 James's distinction between knowledge-by-acquaintance and knowledge-about may be more a theoretical distinction between ideal types than a sharp chasm. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > [noun] > obtained from description 1911 B. Russell in 11 127 We began by distinguishing two sorts of knowledge of objects, namely, knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description. Of these it is only the former that brings the object itself before the mind. 1938 35 396 Carnap says that the distinction between knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description is no longer fundamental to his view. 1994 K. Swanwick i. 16 The difference between indirect propositional knowledge by description and that which is acquired and associated directly through musical experience. Compounds C1. 1879 A. Bain xii. 402 The work of teaching knowledge elements. 1927 B. Russell xx. 224 Our knowledge-reaction reproduces the very event we are knowing. 1960 7 Oct. 514 It could revolutionise the knowledge-vacuum that exists in so many countries. 2001 May 57/1 In his writings, Darrell described the knowledge system the Kayapo had developed. b. Objective, instrumental, etc. 1881 J. Owen II. x. 378 Compared with Greek Skeptics, however, Ockam's Skepticism begins at a later point of the process of knowledge-acquisition. 1962 27 773/2 Knowledge acquisition is irrelevant for those who believe that fate, luck, chance, or external forces control the fall of events. 2009 (Nexis) 8 Aug. h3 The shift today, as knowledge acquisition increases,..must take place in the orientation of schools to working on learning outcomes rather than how to teach. 1901 at Knowledge sb. Knowledge-full, -kindled. 1953 W. D. P. Hill in tr. 108 Others offer all the works of sense and works of breath in the knowledge-kindled fire of control, which is restraint of self. 1886 J. R. Lowell in Suppl. 6/2 There are some pupils who are knowledge-proof. 1997 (Nexis) 16 Aug. 17 Only much later did East Asia demonstrate that..growth of 3.5% was slow rather than fast. But by then Indian planners had become knowledge-proof. 1829 20 Feb. 239 These men are not knowledge seekers, not lovers of truth. 1907 T. D. Sullivan 133 Great camps..whereto from far and wide Came knowledge-seekers. 1999 L. McWhorter ii. 39 What was at stake was the knower or knowledge-seeker him or herself. C2. 1974 56 1129/2 An adequate knowledge assessment might reveal a degree of public ignorance extending to the highest administrative levels in government. 1982 R. C. Schank i. 12 Confounding this problem of knowledge assessment for the teacher of reading is the problem of assessing what a child knows of his language. 2008 (Nexis) 17 Mar. 7 The development activities include knowledge assessments, training courses, performance forums, learning webinars and success tutorials. 1906 T. Taper vi. 78 We need to know, as an ever-present knowledge-asset, that the beautiful is exactly as useful as the useful itself. 1981 7 609 They [sc. multinational enterprises] seek to preserve the knowledge asset of each firm by the process of internalization. 2009 (Nexis) 8 Aug. An organization can publish, discover, discuss, personalize, and extend its knowledge assets to improve workflow, communication, and collaboration. society > computing and information technology > [noun] > information systems > rules or principles of system society > computing and information technology > data > database > [noun] > management of > information store 1953 28 10/2 This has steadily rendered less necessary a resort to valuations in order to obtain a suitable knowledge base for business decisions. 1971 (Berlin) 1 Steps toward this goal are being made within a particular context—architecture—that furnishes a ‘knowledge base’ or ‘assumption base’ from which programs can procure..those heuristics necessary to handle two dimensional and three dimensional ambiguities. 1986 13 June (Journals Suppl.) p. vii/2 He sees the explosion in knowledge gathering, based on computer storage and retrieval, as providing a knowledge base for teachers. 1996 21 Mar. 51/1 An expert system that consists of a knowledge base,..and an inference engine, which processes incoming management messages using data in the knowledge base. 2002 11 Mar. r8/3 A method of booking travel that amasses employee travel information in a ‘knowledge base’ that can be accessed in the event of an emergency. society > computing and information technology > [adjective] > based on knowledge the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > branch of knowledge > [adjective] > based on knowledge 1966 44 486/2 The potentially conflicting principles of office-based and knowledge-based authority. 1975 1 26/1 The planner project is constructing a programming apprentice to assist in knowledge based programming. 1983 Dec. 69/7 Computers based on the 16-bit Motorola 6800 microprocessor were adequate for knowledge-based systems. 2005 19 Apr. a5/1 The theory is that Canada gets plug-and-play immigrants able to integrate into a knowledge-based economy. the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > [noun] 1755 J. Shebbeare IV. cvi. 72 The Player, being best skilled in Boxing, to talk in technical Terms, had darkened one of the Divine's Day-lights, given him a damn'd Drive in the Bread-basket, and almost crack'd his Knowledge-box. 1844 C. Northend 6 These miserable specimens of the ‘Knowledge boxes’..which have so long been visible in our towns and villages, are rapidly disappearing. 1874 F. C. Burnand v. 42 With all these odds and ends, my knowledge-box was fairly stored. 1923 G. B. Shaw Let. 16 Feb. in M. E. Ward (1944) xxv. 417 They do not strike on the knowledge box of the modern intellectual. 1943 W. Stegner i. 44 For six months he was on the bum, sleeping in jungles and knowledge boxes. 1968 N. C. Heard 81 You ain't right in the knowledge-box. 2004 (Nexis) 28 June 37 Before he has a chance to get his bearings, Anna accidentally conks him on the ‘knowledge box’ with one of her many inventions. 2005 B. Watson iii. 56 He had dropped out of the ‘knowledge box’, or school. 1988 20 Dec. 3/3 An investigation into what makes a ‘Knowledge Boy’, as a black-cab trainee is known, also adds new insight into the effects of the stress of driving a London taxi. 2007 (Nexis) 5 May No wonder it takes the average ‘Knowledge boy’, as the students who scoot around town on mopeds studying maps are known, four years to become an All-London taxi driver. 1917 M. Emanuel tr. H. Hauser i. 56 Anxious to make fruitful the knowledge-capital which they have at their control,..the young technicians undertake the creation of new business. 2009 (Nexis) 23 Aug. Knowledge capital alone doesn't guarantee commercial success. the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > [noun] 1822 May 379 Now a clinker, on his winker, Shakes his knowledge casket. 1937 E. Partridge 463/2 Knowledge-box, the head... But knowledge-casket (–1901) has not taken on.] society > trade and finance > management of money > management of national resources > [noun] > political economy > types of economic system 1967 T. J. Watson in 14 Jan. 95/1 From an industrial economy,..we shall..more and more become..a knowledge economy, with 50 per cent or more of our work force involved in the production of information. 1984 W. V. Ruch xv. 242 The basis for the knowledge economy is computerization instead of mechanization. 2005 9 Jan. 40/2 This is the fight over intellectual property and the related investments essential to the knowledge economy, that amorphously defined new world in which better ideas, not faster, cheaper hands create jobs and wealth. society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > engineer > [noun] > other types 1981 9 Feb. 9/4 The relevant experts work with computer scientists (acting as ‘knowledge engineers’) to produce general rules which represent the experts' knowledge. 1993 23 455 Knowledge acquisition..requires extended face-to-face interaction between knowledge engineer and expert. 2002 E. A. Mendonça et al. in K. Beaver (ed. 2) xvii. 227 A knowledge engineer must understand enough about a domain to elicit knowledge from domain experts. society > occupation and work > industry > engineering > [noun] > branches of 1977 E. A. Feigenbaum in 1017/2 When I first described the dendral program to Donald Michie in 1968, he remarked that it was ‘epistemological engineering’, a..turn-of-phrase that I simplified into ‘knowledge engineering’. 1994 12 Aug. 892/1 ‘Case-based’ reasoning requires very large memories of previous problem solutions. Building these memories by hand can be an enormously difficult knowledge engineering task. 2003 D. Hakken viii. 243 While the ‘bottom line’ orientation does interfere with evaluation of knowledge engineering in the for-profit firm, this is less the case in the public or not-for-profit organization. society > education > place of education > college or university > [noun] 1845 May 475/1 After all our educational frippery and trumpery, our knowledge-factories, and teaching-jennies, instruction is still, to us, the same mysterious communing of knowledge with ignorance, that it used to be. 1884 Nov. 653/2 The taste of the Swedes points rather to good public schools..than to the large knowledge factories of Russia. 1968 4 July 6/2 Some students who rioted on British campuses (like some in France and Italy) have been protesting at having found themselves in a knowledge factory when they thought they were headed for something else. 1999 T. W. Harrison & J. L. Kachur p. xxxiii His position stands firmly against the business interest to turn schools into high-tech knowledge factories. 1947 20 July 11/1 (heading) Poll reveals knowledge gap on Europe map. 2003 Sept. 269/1 Appealing for foreign investment, technological assistance in bridging the ‘knowledge gap’,..King Abdullah also makes an impassioned pitch..for support in ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. society > occupation and work > industry > [noun] > types of industry generally 1959 (Johns Hopkins Univ.) 3 May 1 What exactly comprises the ‘knowledge industry’? It includes, says Dr. Machlup, the cost of research and development; the cost of education on all levels; [etc.]. 1962 F. Machlup iii. 45 If the phrase ‘knowledge industry’ were to be given an unambiguous meaning, would it be a collection of industries producing knowledge or rather a collection of occupations producing knowledge in whatever industries they are employed? 1963 5 Jan. 12/2 Economist analyzes the ‘knowledge industries’, such as education, research & development, media of communication, information machines, and their effect on economic growth. 1968 28 Feb. 51/3 This is a book for the serious investor who..wants to learn something about the operations of the New York Stock Exchange and the ‘knowledge industry’, with its analysts, theorists..and numerous other ‘ists’. 1986 M. E. Kann ix. 232 An American economy that..is sustained by professional norms of autonomy even as the knowledge industry is subjected to managerial controls. 2006 5 Apr. (Society section) 10/5 More than a quarter of their businesses and workers are in the knowledge industries. society > occupation and work > business affairs > management methods or systems > [noun] > other methods or systems 1971 D. Smith in E. Hopper vii. 139 (heading) Selection and knowledge management in education systems. 1974 34 189/2 Knowledge has assumed a new importance in public policy making in the United States... Current knowledge management policies are inadequate. 2002 J. Cardeñosa in A. Kent LXX. 224 For the last few years, knowledge management has been the key factor in organizational productivity increase. 1972 26 6/3 The course is primarily intended for young psychologists with experience and interest in processes of knowledge representation and cognitive functioning. 1985 Mar. 35/1 De Mori's work on acoustic phonetics is based on knowledge representation by the production rules of grammars, and reasoning by parsing. 1997 S. Pinker (1998) ii. 87 The various mental representations connected with a concept like an elk can be shown in a single diagram, sometimes called a semantic network, knowledge representation, or propositional database. 2005 (Nexis) 16 Dec. 10 A new career in medical research..applying his mathematical logic and knowledge representation skills to help develop a mutations database. 1968 Fall 1251 The reason is not that an affluent society can afford the luxury of knowledge, but that a knowledge society generates affluence. 2007 June 20/4 If you're dealing with a knowledge society, the best thing you can do is make knowledge freely available. 1629 J. Kennedy sig. A3v Then Adam said to God againe, the woman thou gaue mee, Gaue it to mee, and wee amaine, did eate of knowledge tree. ?a1630 S. Rowlands in E. Farr (1845) ii. liii. 357 Life's arbour next, which grace did fill; And knowledge-tree of good and ill. 1651 R. Whitehall sig. A2 As if the Snake about the knowledge Tree Still had his Sting, still his Malignity. 1837 2 30/1 The first knowledge-tree, of which The young adventurer tastes, is, Birch! 1948 C. Day Lewis 45 My staff is cut from the knowledge tree.My place no infidel eye can see. 2008 K. Loy viii. 113 After they [sc. Adam and Eve] ate from the knowledge tree, they became embarrassed about being naked. society > occupation and work > work > [noun] > other types of work 1959 P. F. Drucker v. 122 Today the majority of the personnel employed even in manufacturing industries..are..people doing knowledge work, however unskilled. 2001 1 May (Review section) 4/4 According to the Institute for Employment Studies, ‘knowledge work’ is forecast to increase its share of work distribution. society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > non-manual worker > [noun] > one who works with his brains 1962 P. F. Drucker in 21 Jan. 66/3 The United States of 1980 will be..a society of ‘knowledge workers’, rather than manual workers. 2003 18 Jan. (Spectrum section) 7/4 It is the minds of the knowledge workers that are tired after a day's slogging away at solving problems, not their bodies. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022). † knowledgev.Origin: Either (i) a variant or alteration of another lexical item. Or (ii) formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: English *gecnǣwelǣcan ; English icnawe , -leche suffix. Etymology: Either the reflex of an unattested Old English *gecnǣwelǣcan, *gecnāwelǣcan < gecnǣwe , gecnāwe conscious of, acknowledging, confessing (see knows adj.) + -lǣcan -leche suffix, or directly < Middle English icnawe (see knows adj.) + -leche suffix; the formation is slightly unusual in that no parallel Old English adjective in -lic (e.g. *gecnāwlic ) is attested, as is common for Old English verbs in -lǣcan (see discussion at -leche suffix). In β. and γ. forms probably aphetic < α. forms. The γ. forms show voicing of the final affricate of an unstressed syllable (see R. Jordan Handb. der mittelenglischen Grammatik (1934) §180, E. J. Dobson Eng. Pronunc. 1500–1700 (ed. 2, 1968) II. §363(ii), and compare modern British English pronunciations of such place names as Greenwich , Norwich , etc., and also partridge n.). The verb was superseded by acknowledge v., which is first attested later. Compare earlier know v., yknow v. Compare also earlier knowledge n.Earlier currency of the verb is perhaps implied by the attestation of early Middle English forms of the verbal noun (cnawelæcing , cnaulæcung ) in 13th- and early 14th-cent. copies of a purported writ of Edward the Confessor (see quot. a1300 at knowledging n. 1). However, this writ is generally thought to be spurious (although it may embody some earlier material), and the forms in question cannot be securely dated earlier than the date of the manuscripts (see F. E. Harmer Anglo-Saxon Writs (1952) 330–1). The largely complementary regional distribution of the verb and knowledge n. in early use tends to support the view that verb and noun are of independent origin; the verb is in early use chiefly a southern word, and rare in northern texts before the 15th cent. (compare quot. 1343 at sense 5 and quot. a1400 at sense 3), whereas early examples of the noun are predominantly from former Danelaw areas. There are few early texts in which both verb and noun are attested, e.g. Trevisa's translation of Higden's Polychronicon, and the Trinity College, Cambridge manuscript of Cursor Mundi. The verb has no morphological parallel in other Germanic languages. With sense 3 compare know v. 8 (see note at that entry), yknow v. 8, and also knowledge n. 3c. In sense 4b after Middle French cognoistre to diagnose (an illness) (1537 in this sense, in the passage translated in quot. ?1541; specific use of cognoistre , conoistre to recognize, discern: see conusant adj. and n.). In sense 6 after the corresponding post-classical sense ‘to give thanks or praise to (God)’ of classical Latin confitērī (see confess v.), which is used in the Vulgate to translate Hellenistic Greek ἐξομολογεῖσθαι, which in turn is used in the Septuagint to render biblical Hebrew hōḏāh to give thanks, to praise, to confess ( < the same base as (unattested) *yōḏāh ‘to confess, give thanks’, which is etymologically unrelated to yāḏaʿ to know). Obsolete. 1. the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement or recognition > acknowledge or recognize [verb (transitive)] α. c1225 (?c1200) (Bodl.) (1940) l. 94 (MED) Soðliche, ȝef ha biþencheð ham riht, & icnawlecheð soð, ich habbe ham to witnesse. a1250 Lofsong Lefdi (Nero) in R. Morris (1868) 1st Ser. 205 (MED) Al þis ich i-cnoulechie [c1225 Royal cnawlechi] þe, swete leafdi seinte marie. the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement, avowal, or confession > acknowledge, avow, or confess [verb (intransitive)] c1384 (Douce 369(2)) (1850) John i. 20 And he knowelechide [L. confessus est], and denyede not, and he knowlechide, For I am not Crist. c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. viii. l. 148 (MED) For dedes þat we han don ille dampned sholde we be neuere, Yff we knewelechid and cryde crist þer-of mercy. a1450 (?a1390) J. Mirk (Claud.) (1974) l. 804 When þou herest what þow hast do Knowlache wel a-non þer-to. 1526 Rom. x. 10 To knowledge with the mougth maketh a man safe [L. ore autem confessio fit ad salutem]. 1563 J. Foxe 1522/2 When any rebuked those persecuted for goyng so openly, and talking so frely, their answer was, they knowledge, confesse, and beleue, and therfore they must speake. 2. the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement, avowal, or confession > acknowledge, avow, or confess [verb (transitive)] c1225 (?c1200) (1973) l. 1343 (MED) We leaueð þi lahe..& turneð alle to Criste & her we cnawlecheð him soð godd, & godes sune. a1333 in C. Brown (1924) 23 (MED) Bendeth hoem ymone, Of heuene and ek of eorþe, And knoulecheth hym wourþe Vor bouwen to hym one. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland (Laud 581) (1869) B. xii. l. 193 He..knewleched hym gulty. c1430 N. Love (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 82 (MED) I that write this knowleche me ful fer therfro [sc. from meekness]. ?a1475 (1922) 130 Knowlych þi self ffor a cockewold. 1534 sig. M.j We prayse the (O god) we knowlege the to be the lorde. 1582 R. Stanyhurst tr. Virgil iii. 61 A Greeke my self I doe knowledge. 1625 J. Stradling v. 189 Enlarge thy Kingdome by thy pow'rfull Word, That Nations all, may knowledge thee their Lord. 1631 J. Weever 113 Knowledging, and affirming..the same Bishop to be supreme. 1643 W. Prynne App. 28 Charles dying, his sonne Charles the eight, was..reputed and knowledged King. the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement or recognition > acknowledge or recognize [verb (transitive)] > person or thing to be something c1300 (Laud Misc. 108) (1889) 39 (MED) Ne miȝte i nevere wende þi mod, Þat þouȝ woldest god knouleche. c1384 (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xii. 8 Ech man which euer schal knowleche me byfore men,..mannis sone schal knowleche him bifore the aungelis of God [L. Omnis quicumque confessus fuerit me coram hominibus, et Filius hominis confitebitur illum coram angelis Dei]. c1425 (c1400) (Cambr.) (1895) 6 (MED) The, god, we preisen; lord, þee we knoulechen. a1500 (Rawl.) (1896) 25 (MED) He sholde hite holde of Oconghoure, and hym knowlech, and Subiecte be to hym as to a kynge and Prynce of Irland. 1577 A. Golding tr. T. de Bèze 40 Thou Lord hast made me and created me,..Thou hast me giuen ye grace to knowledge thee. the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual activity > engage in sexual activity with [verb (transitive)] > have sexual intercourse with c1300 St. Thomas Becket (Laud) l. 144 in C. Horstmann (1887) 110 (MED) Þe furste Nijȝt þat he knovleiȝte hire, he bi-ȝat seint thomas. a1400 (a1325) (Fairf. 14) l. 11056 The tone was yong maidyn þan The tothir had knowlechid with man [Trin. Cambr. had knowleche wiþ mon]. 4. the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > recognition > recognize, acknowledge [verb (transitive)] c1330 (?a1300) (Auch.) (1973) l. 1946 (MED) Þe barouns ben witles & wilde Þat senten men him seche Þat nouȝt no couþe knoweleche. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. xxviii. 1172 While þey [sc. pups] beþ blynde þey loueþ her moder and knowlecheþ to hire [L. eam recognoscunt]. a1618 J. Sylvester tr. G. Fracastoro (1620) sig. B6 Vouchsafe mee,..As in a glasse to see and knowledge Him. the world > health and disease > healing > diagnosis or prognosis > diagnose or prognose [verb (transitive)] > diagnose ?1541 R. Copland tr. Galen sig. Ciij It is leful ye moste often to knowlege [Fr. cognoistre] the dysease at the begynnynge, and it is necessary that the indication be taken of the sayd dysease. 1343 in J. C. Atkinson (1879) I. 230 (MED) Ye aforsayd Robert wylle and knawlegs for hym, his heirs, and his assignes to pay alle the ȝers for to come. c1400 (c1378) W. Langland (Laud 581) (1869) B. xix. l. 181 In couenant þat þei come & knewleche [c1400 Trin. Cambr. kneweliched, a1425 Newnh. 900.4 knowliche, a1450 Bodl. knouleche, a1500 Oriel knowleche] to paye To pieres pardon þe plowman redde quod debes. a1475 in A. Clark (1905) i. 69 (MED) Sir Robert,..knowlichith for to do þe fore-seide chauntri in full courte. society > faith > worship > [verb (intransitive)] a1382 (Bodl. 959) (1959) Gen. xxix. 35 Sche conseyuyde & beer a sonn: & seiþ, now I schall knowlech [L. confitebor; 1535 Coverdale geue thankes] to the lord. a1382 (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Psalms xli. 12 Hope in God, for ȝit I shal knoulechen to hym [L. confitebor illi; 1535 Coverdale thanke him]. c1384 (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Matt. xi. 25 I knowleche to thee [L. Confiteor tibi; 1535 Coverdale I prayse the], fadir..for thou hast hid these thingis fro wijse [men] and ware, and hast shewid hem to litil men. 1535 Rom. xiv. 11 All tunges shal knowlege vnto God [1526 Tyndale geve knowledge to god; L. omnis lingua confitebitur Deo]. the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > become friendly or acquainted with [verb (reflexive)] a1400 (a1325) (Trin. Cambr.) l. 3838 Iacob..knowleched him [Vesp. kythed him, Gött. kneu him] þere wiþ rachel. the mind > language > statement > acknowledgement or recognition > acknowledge or recognize [verb (transitive)] > in legal form ?a1445 Memorandum conc. E. Beckham in (2005) III. 12 The seyd William Paston xuld neuer haue his bargeyn, contrary to all matere beforn rehersyd, the which mater was knolachid, labouryd and purveyd be his assent. 1455 Petition in (1767–77) V. 341/1 (MED) Your said Bisecher did make a generall dede of Feoffement..And also made and knowlaged dyvers reconysauncez by fine and othir dyvers suretees. 1531–2 c. 6 §1 The cognisor ne the cognisee, that did knowledge and take the same reconisances. 1581 W. Lambarde i. xvii. 135 Assaults..doe drawe after them the forfaiture of a Recognusance, knowledged for the keeping of the Peace. 1594 W. West i. §45. sig. B.iij The sayd L. M. his heires & assignes shall..do, make, knowledge, and suffer, or cause to be made, knowledged and suffered, al and euerie act and acts [etc.]. 1661 Rec. Charles Countie in J. H. Pleasants (1936) LIII. 172 All fines feofment Recoueries and Assuerances in the law whatsoeuer..made leuied knowledged suffered or done. 1797 (ed. 6) III. 204 If any ecclesiastical person knowledge a statute merchant or statute staple, or a recognizance in the nature of a statute staple. society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > trying or hearing of cause > try or hear cause [verb (transitive)] 1609 J. Skene tr. 105 (Form Baron Courts c. 15) Gif it [sc. the judgement] be againe said in the Schiref Court, it sould be knawledged in the justice Court. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online June 2022). <  n.lOE v.c1225 |
