see

Verb

see (third-person singular simple present sees, present participle seeing, simple past saw or (dialectal) seen or (dialectal) seent or (dialectal) seed, past participle seen or (dialectal) seent or (dialectal) seed or (dialectal) saw or (dialectal or eye dialect) sawn)

1. (transitive) To perceive or detect someone or something with the eyes, or as if by sight.
   • Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path.[…]It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 18
   • I turned into the garden, and saw the flutter of her dress as she escaped down a side-walk, and heard the sound of a stifled sob.1878, Chamber's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts, United Kingdom: W & R Chambers, page 522
   1. (transitive) To witness or observe by personal experience.
      • Now I've seen it all!
      • I'm seeing much better since I got my eyeglasses recalibrated.
   2. (transitive) To watch (a movie) at a cinema, or a show on television etc.
      • I saw the latest Tarantino flick last week.
2. To form a mental picture of, to perceive in a certain way.
   • I see it as essential that there should be somewhere to park.
   • It is not just that we see birds as little versions of ourselves. It is also that, at the same time, they stand outside any moral process. They are utterly indifferent. This absolute oblivion on their part, this lack of sharing, is powerful.2013 August 23, Mark Cocker, “Wings of Desire”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 11, page 28
   1. (figuratively) To understand.
      • Do you see what I mean?
      • Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic[…]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become.[…]But the scandals kept coming[…]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the...2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21
   2. (figuratively) To come to a realization of having been mistaken or misled.
      • They're blind to the damage they do, but someday they'll see.
   3. (transitive) To foresee, predict, or prophesy.
      • The oracle saw the destruction of the city.
      • I can't see me lovin' nobody but you / For all my life / When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue / For all my life1967, Alan Gordon, Garry Bonner, “Happy Together”, performed by The Turtles
   4. Used to emphasise a proposition.
      • You see, Johnny, your Dad isn't your real father.
      • You're not welcome here any more, see?
3. (social) To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit.
   • You'd better see about that with the boss.
   • And Samuel came no more to ſee Saul vntill the day of his death: neuertheleſſe, Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king ouer Iſrael.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Samuel 15:35, column 2
4. (social) To date frequently.
   • I've been seeing her for two months.
   • "You're... remarrying? I didn't even know you were seeing someone. And she's going to live here?"2022 September 9, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Friday, Sep 9, 2022

   Synonyms:

   go out

5. (social) To visit for an appointment, especially a medical appointment.
   • You should see a doctor about that rash on your arm.
   • I've been seeing a therapist for three years now.
6. (social) To be attended to during an appointment, especially a medical appointment.
   • The doctor will see you now.
7. (ergative) To be the setting or time of.
   • The 20th century saw humanity's first space exploration.
   • 1999 saw the release of many great films.
8. (broadly) Chiefly followed by that: to ensure that something happens, especially by personally witnessing it.
   • I'll see you hang for this
   • I was at the docks seeing that the goods got properly unloaded.
9. (transitive) To wait upon; attend, escort.
   • I saw the old lady safely across the road.
   • You can see yourself out.
10. (transitive) To respond to another player's bet with a bet of equal value.
    • I'll see your twenty dollars and raise you ten.
11. To determine by trial or experiment; to find out (if or whether).
    • I'll come over later and see if I can fix your computer.
    • You think I can't beat you in a race, eh? We'll see.
12. To reference or to study for further details.
    • Step 4: In the system, check out the laptop to the student (see: "Logging Resources" in the Tutor Manual).
    • For a complete proof of the Poincaré conjecture, see Appendix C.
13. To examine something closely, or to utilize something, often as a temporary alternative.
    • Can I see that lighter for a second? Mine just quit working.
14. To include as one of something's experiences.
    • The equipment has not seen usage outside of our projects.
    • I saw military service in Vietnam.

Interjection

1. Introducing an explanation.
   • See, in order to win the full prize we would have to come up with a scheme to land a rover on the Moon.

   Synonyms:

   look, well, so

Noun (1)

see (plural sees)

1. A diocese or archdiocese: a region of a church, generally headed by a bishop or an archbishop.
2. The office of a bishop or archbishop.
3. A seat; a site; a place where sovereign, autonomous, or autocephalous power is exercised.
   • Ioue laught on Venus from his ſouerayne ſee1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 2, page 478

Noun (2) capitalized: See

See (plural Sees)

1. Alternative letter-case form of see.

Proper noun capitalized: See

See (plural Sees)

1. An English surname.
2. A surname from German.
3. A surname from Hokkien.

Noun (3) capitalized: SEE

SEE (plural SEEs)

1. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of single-event effect (a temporary or permanent fault caused by an ionizing radiation particle or ray striking a computer chip).
2. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of Signed Exact English.