discern
part of speech
verb (discern, discerns, discerned, discerning)
meaning for a pupil
1) To see, hear or notice something that is hard to see or hear. tree →
2) To understand or recognise something, often a difference, by thinking carefully. tree →
3) (formal) To tell apart, such as right from wrong. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In the Torah it means to recognize or tell apart. Isaac could not recognize Jacob by his hairy hands, and Jacob told Laban to identify what was his. Interpretation: The passage about discerning one's "latter end" is read as a call to wisdom, to look ahead to the results of one's actions. Isaac's failure to discern is a part of the story of the blessing. In the primary lessons: In reading lessons, pupils discern the author's meaning or a character's feelings from clues. In science, you may discern a pattern in data. In fog or dark, you can barely discern shapes. In church and ethics, Christians speak of discerning what is right or what God wants. Phrases: «hard to discern», «discern between», «discern a pattern».
examples
- If they were wise, they would understand this, they would discern their latter end. (Torah DEU.32.29, JPS 1917) tree →
- And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. (Torah GEN.27.23, JPS 1917) tree →
- With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live; before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee.' — For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. — (Torah GEN.31.32, JPS 1917) tree →
- Cannot my taste discern crafty devices? (Writings JOB.6.30, JPS 1917) tree →
- It is not the great that are wise, nor the aged that discern judgment. (Writings JOB.32.9, JPS 1917) tree →
- And she lay at his feet until the morning; and she rose up before one could discern another. (Writings RUT.3.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- Through the fog we could just discern the lighthouse. tree →
- Can you discern a pattern in these numbers? tree →
- It was hard to discern what she meant. tree →
- Babies soon learn to discern their mother's voice. tree →
- Good readers discern clues the writer has hidden. tree →
- He could not discern any difference between the two cakes. tree →
- The judge must discern truth from lies. tree →
- So rapidly did they grow, that Cadmus now discerned the fierce countenance of a man beneath every one. tree →
note
Formal word; pronounced «di-SURN» (the «s» sounds like «s», sometimes «z»). Adjective: discerning (good at judging quality). Noun: discernment. In everyday talk people say «make out» or «spot».
In the corpora
- And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him.
- If they were wise, they would understand this, they would discern their latter end.
- Then shall ye again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.
- Who can discern his errors?
- And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «discern» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.