Sens

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A French term with several meanings, such as the faculty of perception or understanding ; the explicit indication of meaning in language, like denotation or sense ; an emotional or perceptual impression, feeling, or intuition
2. A versatile French-origin word indicating the capacity to perceive or comprehend ; the direct meaning of a phrase or word ; an impression, sentiment, or distinctive feeling experienced
3. Borrowed from French, denotes one’s ability to sense or understand ; the precise meaning conveyed by words or expressions ; or a subtle emotional or intuitive experience

Etymology: "Sens" as a noun meaning awareness of things is a clipping of "sensitivity," the same word trimmed to its first four letters. The shortened form appears in informal and slangy speech, where the full word is sometimes too long for quick talk. The same spelling also has a second, unrelated source. "Sensemilla," a term for seedless cannabis, is itself a clipping of "sinsemilla," a Spanish-derived name for the unfertilized flowering tops of the plant. Speakers who shortened that term to "sens" created a homograph that shares no meaning or history with the "sensitivity" clipping, so the two should not be confused.

Synonyms: sense, meaning

Antonyms: nonsense, absurdity