ken Meaning & Definition
What Does Ken Mean?
As a symbol, ken means ISO 639-3 language code for Kenyang. As a verb, it means To give birth, conceive, beget, be born; to develop (as a fetus); to nourish, sustain (as life). As a verb, it means To know, perceive or understand.
Quick Facts About Ken
| Part of speech | symbol, verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //kɛn// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | cognizance |
| Plural | kens |
| Verb forms | kens, kenning, kenned |
Ken Definition (Symbol)
- ISO 639-3 language code for Kenyang.
Ken as a Verb
- To give birth, conceive, beget, be born; to develop (as a fetus); to nourish, sustain (as life).
Verb
- To know, perceive or understand.
- To discover by sight; to catch sight of; to descry.
Ken as a Noun
- Range of perception.
- Knowledge, perception, or sight.
- Range of sight.
Noun
- A house, especially a den of thieves.
Noun
- Youth or children's group.
Noun
- A Japanese unit of length equal to six shakus.
Noun
- The tsurugi (type of sword).
Noun
- (thieves' cant) A house, especially a den of thieves.
Synonyms of Ken
Ken synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Ken
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Ken in a Sentence
No example sentences are available for this entry.
Word Forms & Grammar
ken (third-person singular simple present kens, present participle kenning, simple past and past participle kenned)
ken (third-person singular simple present kens, present participle kenning, simple past and past participle kenned or kent)
ken (uncountable)
ken (plural kens)
ken (plural kenim)
ken (plural kens or ken)
ken (plural ken)
Words That Rhyme With Ken
Origin of Ken
Origin 1: From Middle English kennen (“to give birth, conceive, generate, beget; to develop (as a fetus), hatch out (of eggs); to sustain, nourish, nurture”), from Old English cennan (“to give birth, conceive, generate, beget”), from Proto-West Germanic *kannjan, from Proto-Germanic *kanjaną.
Origin 2: Northern English dialects and Scots language from Middle English kennen, from Old English cennan (“make known, declare, acknowledge”) originally “to make known”, causative of cunnan (“to become acquainted with, to know”), from Proto-West Germanic *kannijan, from Proto-Germanic *kannijaną, causative of *kunnaną (“be able”), from which comes the verb can.
Origin 3: Cognate with West Frisian kenne (“to know; recognise”), Dutch kennen (“to know”), German kennen (“to know, be acquainted with someone/something”), Norwegian Bokmål kjenne, Norwegian Nynorsk kjenna, Old Norse kenna (“to know, perceive”), Swedish känna (“to know, feel”), Danish kende (“to know”). See also: can, con.
Origin 4: From a nautical abbreviation of Middle English kenning, present participle of the verb kennen (“to make known, point out, reveal; to direct, instruct, teach; to know, perceive”).
How to Pronounce Ken
You say ken as //kɛn//. It has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Ken
Is ken a symbol or a verb?
Ken is mainly used as a symbol, but it can also be used as a verb and a noun.
What is another word for ken?
You can replace ken with words such as cognizance. See the full list of ken synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of ken?
The plural of ken is kens.
What is the past tense of ken?
The past tense of ken is kenned. The present participle is kenning.