▪ I. discern, v.
(dɪˈzɜːn, now usu. dɪˈsɜːn)
Also 4 disserne, 4–7 discerne, 5–6 des-, dyscerne, 6 dysserne. See also decern.
[a. F. discerner, in OF. also disserner (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. discern-ĕre to separate, distinguish, determine, f. dis- 1 + cernĕre to separate. In early times sometimes confused with decern, which in OF. also appears as descerner.]
† 1. trans. To separate (things, or one thing from another) as distinct; to distinguish and divide.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (1840) 87 (Mätz.) Pictagoras..Fonde first out .y., a figure to discerne Theyre lyff here short, and lyff that is eterne. 1533 More Answ. Poysoned Bk. Wks. 1050/2 Our sauiour would not discerne & deuide fayth from the woorke, but sayth that the faith it selfe was the woorke of god. 1549 Coverdale Erasm. Par. 1 John 48 It is not the sacramentes that discerne the children of God from the children of the devyll; but the puritie of lyfe, and charitie. 1614 R. Tailor Hog hath lost Pearl iv. in Hazl. Dodsley XI. 481 That precious gem of reason, by which solely We are discern'd from rude and brutish beasts. 1645 Ussher Body Div. 39 That so he might be discerned from all things created. For nothing is like unto God. |
2. To recognize as distinct; to distinguish or separate mentally (one thing from another); to perceive the difference between (things). arch.
| 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour H iv, By the knowyng of it they shalle..discerne the good fro the euyll. 1551 T. Wilson Logike (1580) 20 b, To discerne the truthe from that whiche is false. 1579 Fulke Heskins' Parl. 363 If we discern the two testaments, the promises are not the same. 1611 Bible 2 Sam. xiv. 17 As an Angel of God, so is my lord the king to discerne good and bad. 1727–38 Gay Fables i. x, Can he discern the different natures? 1834 J. H. Newman Paroch. Serm. I. xvii. 257 Like men who have lost the faculty of discerning colours. 1837–9 Hallam Hist. Lit. IV. iv. iv. §38. 172 We discern good from evil by the understanding. 1886 Ruskin Præterita I. vi. 199 Not having yet the taste to discern good Gothic from bad. |
3. intr. To perceive or recognize the difference or distinction; to make a distinction; to distinguish or discriminate between. arch.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 513 Wymmen..þat..Bitwene þe stele and þe stayre disserne noȝt cunen. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxii. 103 Þai..can discerne betwix gude and euill. 1535 Coverdale Ezek. xxii. 26 They put no dyfference betwene the holy and vnholy, nether discerne betwene the clene and vnclene. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xix. 97 One that cannot discerne between Good and Evill. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 255. ¶5 Some Men cannot discern between a noble and a mean Action. 1841 Myers Cath. Th. iii. §5. 18 The spiritual mind..discerns and separates between the things which differ in excellence. |
4. trans. To distinguish (one thing or fact) by the intellect; to recognize or perceive distinctly. (With simple obj., or clause expressing a proposition.)
| 13.. Cursor M. 15066 (Gött.) Cum nu forth vr sauueour, we haue discernd [3 MSS. desired] þe, þu es right king of israel, qua sum þe soth can se. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 2145 Than may men wel by this ordre discerne, That thilke moevere stabul is and eterne. 1529 More Dyaloge i. Wks. 164/2 If..ye coude not make your audience to discerne the truthe. 1641 Wilkins Math. Magick i. vi. (1648) 41 Hence also may wee discerne the reason why [etc.]. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 326 His swift pursuers from Heav'n Gates discern Th' advantage. 1679 L. Addison First State of Mahumedism 126 If we look into the condition of Christianity..at the time..we shall discern it miserably shaken and convuls'd. 1736 Butler Anal. i. v. 124 We do not discern how food and sleep contribute to the growth of the body. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. lxviii, I wake, and I discern the truth. 1861 M. Pattison Ess. I. 33 Incapable of discerning where their true interest lay. |
b. intr. or absol.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. Prol. 9 (Harl.) In heuene and helle and erthe and salte se Is felt þi myght If {thbar}at I wol descerne. 1581 Mulcaster Positions iii. 9 Which skill to discern so narrowly..is not in all. 1728 Young Love Fame iv. (1757) 110 Compton, born o'er senates to preside, Deep to discern, and widely to survey. |
c. intr. To have cognizance, to judge of.
| a 1622 Bacon Hen. VII, Wks. (1860) 353 This court of Star-chamber..discerneth..of forces, frauds, crimes various of stellionate, and the inchoations..towards crimes capital..not actually committed. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 135 Is there nobody, thinkest thou, that can discerne of truth, but thou and thy followers? a 1649 Winthrop New Eng. (1853) I. 380 The magistrates..discerned of the offence clothed with all these circumstances. |
5. trans. To distinguish (an object) with the eyes; to see or perceive by express effort of the powers of vision; to ‘make out’ by looking, descry, behold.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1131 Wyndowe..was ther noon, Thurgh which men myghten any light discerne. 1548 Hall Chron., Rich. III, 50 A bekon w{supt} a greate lanterne..which maie be sene and discerned a great space of. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. v. 12 The smoak was..so thick, as we could hardly discern one another. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. i. §10 The best eyes are necessary to discern the minutest objects. 1842 Tennyson Ld. of Burleigh 42 Till a gateway she discerns With armorial bearings stately. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. xvii. 317 We could discern no trace of rupture [in the ice]. |
† b. intr. or absol. Obs. rare.
| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame ii. 401 (Fairf. & Bodl. MSS.) Or elles was the aire so thikke That y ne myght[e] not discerne [Caxt. that I myght it not decerne]. a 1649 Winthrop New Eng. (1853) II. 72 It was frozen also to sea so far as one could well discern. Ibid. II. 81 There was such a precipice as they could scarce discern to the bottom. |
c. trans. To distinguish or perceive distinctly by other senses. rare.
| 1578 Banister Hist. Man v. 71 Sundry portions of sinewes..scattered onely to discerne annoyaunce at any tyme offred. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i. x, His ear discerned a distressed childish voice crying. |
¶ 6. Formerly sometimes used for decern.
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 549 We..pronounce, dyscerne and declare, the same kynge Rycharde..to be..vnable..and vnworthy to the rule and gouernaunce of the foresayd realmys. 1533 Coverdale Lord's Supper Wks. (Parker Soc.) I. 449 It pertaineth not to every private person to judge and discern, who ought to be admitted. 1563 Foxe A. & M. 770 b, We do..discerne, deme, and iudge the same to be committed to y⊇..custodye of such person or persons as his maiesty shall apoynte. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 66 That, quhilke Ptolomie discernet to be among the hindmost Iles of Schytland. |
▪ II. discern, n. rare—1.
(dɪˈzɜːn)
[f. discern v.]
The act of discerning; discernment, perception.
| 1830 W. Phillips Mt. Sinai ii. 582 Afront was stationed, facile of discern, An orb immiscible of mist profound. |