Prendre

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To seize or acquire possession of something ; to grasp mentally or understand ; to consume or use something, such as food or medication
2. To obtain by taking hold ; to comprehend or absorb information ; to ingest or utilize a substance
3. To get control over or capture an object ; to mentally grasp or interpret ideas ; to partake of or employ something for a purpose

Etymology: In Latin, "prehendere" meant "to seize or grasp," built from "prae" ("before") and a verb meaning "to grab." Over time the middle syllable wore away in speech, leaving "prendere," which passed into Old French as the verb for taking hold of something, and from there into modern French as "prendre." The same root runs through several French verbs whose meanings have drifted from the physical. "Apprendre" means "to learn," even though its ancestor "apprehendere" meant to lay hold of something, and "comprendre" means "to understand," from "comprehendere," to grasp something together. English took the Latin form directly, giving us "apprehend," "comprehend," and "prehensile," so the English words keep the sense of physical seizing more visibly than their French relatives do.

Synonyms: take, grab, seize, capture, get

Antonyms: release, let go, drop, lose, give