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ken

   Also found in: Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
ken  (kn)
n.
1. Perception; understanding: complex issues well beyond our ken.
2.
a. Range of vision.
b. View; sight.
v. kenned or kent (knt), ken·ning, kens Scots
v.tr.
1. To know (a person or thing).
2. To recognize.
v.intr.
To have knowledge or an understanding.

[From Middle English kennen (influenced by Old Norse kenna, to know), from Old English cennan, to declare; see gn- in Indo-European roots.]

ken [kɛn]
n
range of knowledge or perception (esp in the phrases beyond or in one's ken)
vb kens, kenning, kenned, kent [kɛnt]
1. Scot and northern English dialect to know
2. Scot and northern English dialect to understand; perceive
3. (tr) Archaic to see
[Old English cennan; related to Old Norse kenna to perceive, Old High German kennen to make known; see can1]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.ken - range of what one can know or understand; "beyond my ken"
knowing - a clear and certain mental apprehension
2.ken - the range of vision; "out of sight of land"
grasp, compass, reach, range - the limit of capability; "within the compass of education"

ken
noun
beyond someone's ken beyond the knowledge of, beyond the comprehension of, beyond the understanding of, beyond the acquaintance of, beyond the awareness of, beyond the cognizance of beyond the ken of the average layman
Translations
ken [ken]
A. N to be beyond sb's kenser incomprensible para algn
B. VT (Scot) [+ person] → conocer; [+ fact] → saber; (= recognize) → reconocer
ken [ˈkɛn] nentendement m
to be beyond the ken of sb → dépasser l'entendement de qn
The subject matter was so technical as to be beyond the ken of the average person → Le sujet était si technique qu'il dépassait l'entendement du commun des mortels.
ken
n that is beyond my kendas entzieht sich meiner Kenntnis
vti (Scot) = know 1 2
ken [kɛn] n (old) beyond one's kenal di là della propria comprensione
ken [kɛn] n (old) beyond one's kenal di là della propria comprensione


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
But the rams need only cease to suppose that all that happens to them happens solely for the attainment of their sheepish aims; they need only admit that what happens to them may also have purposes beyond their ken, and they will at once perceive a unity and coherence in what happened to the ram that was fattened.
I sat upon the mountain-side and watched A tiny barque that skimmed across the lake, Drifting, like human destiny upon A world of hidden peril; then she sailed From out my ken, and mingled with the blue Of skies unfathomed, while the great round sun Weakened towards the waves.
To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.
 
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