introspect, v.
(ɪntrəʊˈspɛkt)
[f. L. intrōspect-, ppl. stem of intrōspicĕre to look into, or f. L. intrōspectāre, freq. of this.]
1. trans. To look into, esp. with the mind; to examine narrowly or thoroughly. Now rare.
| 1683 E. Hooker Pref. Pordage's Mystic. Div. 66 There to view, introspect and comprehend, as wel as apprehend, the Wonders of Jehovah ælohim. 1723 Trickology 15 The Drum.. look into it, there is nothing; so beware they do not introspect you. 1885 L. Oliphant Sympneumata xi. 167 The records of the intellect introspecting human nature cannot evince a perfect understanding. |
2. intr. or absol. To look within; to examine one's own thoughts or feelings.
| 1884 Pop. Sci. Monthly XXV. 257 We can not cogitate without examining consciousness, and when we do this we introspect. 1896 Daily News 18 Feb. 6/1 No man went further in introspection than all the world's chartered libertine, Mr. Pepys. But Mr. Pepys ‘introspected’ with a single mind! He never, we think, defends his conduct. |
Hence introˈspected, introˈspecting ppl. adjs.
| 1881 J. Sully Illusions 18 Introspected facts being known only in relation to perceived facts. 1882 Hall Caine Recoll. D. G. Rossetti 212 [Rossetti had] large grey eyes with a steady introspecting look. |