Un·der·stand v. t. [imp. & p. p. Understood and Archaic Understanded; p. pr. & vb. n. Understanding.]
 1. To have just and adequate ideas of; to apprehended the meaning or intention of; to have knowledge of; to comprehend; to know; as, to understand a problem in Euclid; to understand a proposition or a declaration; the court understands the advocate or his argument; to understand the sacred oracles; to understand a nod or a wink.
 Speaketh [i. e., speak thou] so plain at this time, I you pray,
 That we may understande what ye say.   --Chaucer.
    I understand not what you mean by this.   --Shak.
    Understood not all was but a show.   --Milton.
    A tongue not understanded of the people.   --Bk. of Com. Prayer.
 2. To be apprised, or have information, of; to learn; to be informed of; to hear; as, I understand that Congress has passed the bill.
 3. To recognize or hold as being or signifying; to suppose to mean; to interpret; to explain.
    The most learned interpreters understood the words of sin, and not of Abel.   --Locke.
 4. To mean without expressing; to imply tacitly; to take for granted; to assume.
 War, then, war,
 Open or understood, must be resolved.   --Milton.
 5. To stand under; to support. [Jocose & R.]
 To give one to understand, to cause one to know.
 To make one's self understood, to make one's meaning clear.