ken

1 of 2

noun

ˈken

: the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge

abstract words that are beyond the ken of young children

Lois M. Rettie

: the range of vision

: sight, view

'tis double death to drown in ken of shore

William Shakespeare

ken

2 of 2

verb

kenned; kenning

transitive verb

archaic : see

chiefly dialectal : recognize

chiefly Scotland : know

intransitive verb

chiefly Scotland : know

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Understanding Ken

Ken appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century as a term of measurement of the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea—about 20 miles. British author John Lyly used that sense in 1580 when he wrote, "They are safely come within a ken of Dover." Other 16th-century writers used ken to mean "range of vision" ("Out of ken we were ere the Countesse came from the feast." — Thomas Nashe) or "sight" ("'Tis double death to drown in ken of shore." — Shakespeare). Today, however, ken rarely suggests literal sight. Rather, ken nowadays almost always implies a range of perception, understanding, or knowledge.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For that reason, or for reasons beyond the ken of a public-high-school boy from Kansas City, Missouri, about all a male needed in those days in order to be brought along to a débutante party by some legitimate invitee was a tuxedo and a pulse.

The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 How pigeons get enough calories to stay alive and healthy until spring is beyond my ken.

John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Feb. 2022 Many of the items had been disabled by departing U.S. troops or are beyond the ken of Taliban fighters to operate.

Tribune News Service, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2021 His nuanced understanding of Davis’s playing — its harmonic and rhythmic wirings as well as its smoldering tone — was only part of a vast musical ken.

Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2020 Unscathed (for reasons beyond my ken) include baptisia, clematis recta, and of course the sturdy-as-stone conifers.

Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 17 June 2017

单词	kenned
释义	ken 1 of 2 noun ˈken 1 : the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge abstract words that are beyond the ken of young children Lois M. Rettie 2 a : the range of vision b : sight, view 'tis double death to drown in ken of shore William Shakespeare ken 2 of 2 verb kenned; kenning transitive verb 1 archaic : see 2 chiefly dialectal : recognize 3 chiefly Scotland : know intransitive verb chiefly Scotland : know Did you know? Understanding Ken Ken appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century as a term of measurement of the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea—about 20 miles. British author John Lyly used that sense in 1580 when he wrote, "They are safely come within a ken of Dover." Other 16th-century writers used ken to mean "range of vision" ("Out of ken we were ere the Countesse came from the feast." — Thomas Nashe) or "sight" ("'Tis double death to drown in ken of shore." — Shakespeare). Today, however, ken rarely suggests literal sight. Rather, ken nowadays almost always implies a range of perception, understanding, or knowledge. Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web Noun For that reason, or for reasons beyond the ken of a public-high-school boy from Kansas City, Missouri, about all a male needed in those days in order to be brought along to a débutante party by some legitimate invitee was a tuxedo and a pulse. The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2022 How pigeons get enough calories to stay alive and healthy until spring is beyond my ken. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Feb. 2022 Many of the items had been disabled by departing U.S. troops or are beyond the ken of Taliban fighters to operate. Tribune News Service, Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2021 His nuanced understanding of Davis’s playing — its harmonic and rhythmic wirings as well as its smoldering tone — was only part of a vast musical ken. Giovanni Russonello, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2020 Unscathed (for reasons beyond my ken) include baptisia, clematis recta, and of course the sturdy-as-stone conifers. Bonnie Blodgett, Twin Cities, 17 June 2017 Word History Etymology Verb Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan to make known & Old Norse kenna to perceive; both akin to Old English can know — more at can entry 1 First Known Use Noun 1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2a Verb 13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1 Phrases Containing ken beyond someone's ken beyond someone's ken kenned verb past tense of ken, chiefly Scottish as in fathomed Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance fathomed savvied understood apprehended comprehended possessed perceived cognized knew grasped appreciated followed had caught on (to) picked up Antonyms & Near Antonyms misunderstood misapprehended misinterpreted misperceived misconceived misknew
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ken

noun

verb

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing ken

verb