prehension
noun
pre·hen·sion
prē-ˈhen(t)-shən 
1
: the act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping
2
a
: mental understanding : comprehension
b
: apprehension by the senses
Did you know?
It's easy to grasp the origins of prehension—it descends from the Latin verb prehendere, which means "to seize" or "to grasp." Other descendants of prehendere in English include apprehend ("arrest, seize"), comprehend ("to grasp the nature or significance of"), prehensile ("adapted for seizing or grasping"), prison, reprise ("a repeated performance"), and reprisal ("a retaliatory act"). Even the English word get comes to us from the same ancient root that led to the Latin prehendere.
Examples of prehension in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Of these, the grasping, which will progressively disappear as voluntary prehension emerges around the age of 4–5 months, is of great interest.
—
Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2011
Prehension was seen as a key development for the USC/Belgrade Hand.
—Jose Fermoso, WIRED, 26 Sep. 2008
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Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2011
Prehension was seen as a key development for the USC/Belgrade Hand.
—Jose Fermoso, WIRED, 26 Sep. 2008
Dictionary Entries Near prehension
Cite this Entry
“Prehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prehension. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
prehension
noun
pre·hen·sion
prē-ˈhen-chən
: the act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping
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