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thought1

[thawt]
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noun
  1. the product of mental activity; that which one thinks: a body of thought.
  2. a single act or product of thinking; idea or notion: to collect one's thoughts.
  3. the act or process of thinking; mental activity: Thought as well as action wearies us.
  4. the capacity or faculty of thinking, reasoning, imagining, etc.: All her thought went into her work.
  5. a consideration or reflection: Thought of death terrified her.
  6. meditation, contemplation, or recollection: deep in thought.
  7. intention, design, or purpose, especially a half-formed or imperfect intention: We had some thought of going.
  8. anticipation or expectation: I had no thought of seeing you here.
  9. consideration, attention, care, or regard: She took no thought of her appearance.
  10. a judgment, opinion, or belief: According to his thought, all violence is evil.
  11. the intellectual activity or the ideas, opinions, etc., characteristic of a particular place, class, or time: Greek thought.
  12. a very small amount; a touch; bit; trifle: The steak is a thought underdone.
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Origin of thought1

before 900; Middle English thoght, Old English (ge)thōht; cognate with Dutch gedachte; akin to thank, think1

Synonyms

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2. See idea. 3. reflection, cogitation.

thought2

[thawt]
verb
  1. simple past tense and past participle of think1.
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think1

[thingk]
verb (used without object), thought, think·ing.
  1. to have a conscious mind, to some extent of reasoning, remembering experiences, making rational decisions, etc.
  2. to employ one's mind rationally and objectively in evaluating or dealing with a given situation: Think carefully before you begin.
  3. to have a certain thing as the subject of one's thoughts: I was thinking about you. We could think of nothing else.
  4. to call something to one's conscious mind: I couldn't think of his phone number.
  5. to consider something as a possible action, choice, etc.: She thought about cutting her hair.
  6. to invent or conceive of something: We thought of a new plan.
  7. to have consideration or regard for someone: Think of others first.
  8. to esteem a person or thing as indicated: to think badly of someone.
  9. to have a belief or opinion as indicated: I think so.
  10. (of a device or machine, especially a computer) to use artificial intelligence to perform an activity analogous to human thought.
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verb (used with object), thought, think·ing.
  1. to have or form in the mind as an idea, conception, etc.
  2. to have or form in the mind in order to understand, know, or remember something else: Romantic comedy is all about chemistry: think Tracy and Hepburn. Can't guess? Here's a hint: think 19th century.
  3. to consider for evaluation or for possible action upon: Think the deal over.
  4. to regard as specified: He thought me unkind.
  5. to believe to be true of someone or something: to think evil of the neighbors.
  6. to analyze or evolve rationally: to think the problem out.
  7. to have as a plan or intention: I thought that I would go.
  8. to anticipate or expect: I did not think to find you here.
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adjective
  1. of or relating to thinking or thought.
  2. Informal. stimulating or challenging to the intellect or mind: the think book of the year.Compare think piece.
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noun
  1. Informal. the act or a period of thinking: I want to sit down and give it a good think.
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Verb Phrases
  1. think of,
    1. to conceive of; imagine.
    2. to have an opinion or judgment of.
    3. to consider; anticipate: When one thinks of what the future may bring, one is both worried and hopeful.
  2. think out/through,
    1. to think about until a conclusion is reached; understand or solve by thinking.
    2. to devise by thinking; contrive: He thought out a plan for saving time.
  3. think up, to devise or contrive by thinking: Can you think up an arrangement of furniture for this room?
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Idioms
  1. think better of, to change one's mind about; reconsider: She considered emigrating to Australia, but thought better of it.
  2. think fit, to consider advisable or appropriate: By all means, take a vacation if you think fit.
  3. think nothing of. nothing(def 19).
  4. think twice, to weigh carefully before acting; consider: I would think twice before taking on such a responsibility.
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Origin of think1

before 900; Middle English thinken, variant of thenken, Old English thencan; cognate with Dutch, German denken, Old Norse thekkja, Gothic thagkjan; akin to thank

think2

[thingk]
verb (used without object), thought, think·ing. Obsolete.
  1. to seem or appear (usually used impersonally with a dative as the subject).
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Compare methinks.

Origin of think2

before 900; Middle English thinken, Old English thyncan; cognate with Dutch dunken, German dünken, Old Norse thykkja, Gothic thugkjan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

reflectionthinkingattentionunderstandinglogicspeculationhopeprospectimageworryconcernknowledgeintentionassessmentconclusionbeliefexpectationplanjudgmentanxiety

Examples from the Web for thought

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • His long habit of thought concerning her enabled him to master this foolishness.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • Should you have thought she'd marry so soon after her divorce?

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • I've often thought I'd go into some of these big operations here.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • "I thought I would come and tell you," said Halbert, coloring a little.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • "I've got something to do pretty quick," thought Robert, with satisfaction.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

British Dictionary definitions for thought

thought

verb
  1. the past tense and past participle of think
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noun
  1. the act or process of thinking; deliberation, meditation, or reflection
  2. a concept, opinion, or idea
  3. philosophical or intellectual ideas typical of a particular time or placeGerman thought in the 19th century
  4. application of mental attention; considerationhe gave the matter some thought
  5. purpose or intentionI have no thought of giving up
  6. expectationno thought of reward
  7. a small amount; trifleyou could be a thought more enthusiastic
  8. kindness or regardhe has no thought for his widowed mother
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Word Origin

Old English thōht; related to Old Frisian thochta, Old Saxon, Old High German githācht

think

verb thinks, thinking or thought
  1. (tr; may take a clause as object) to consider, judge, or believehe thinks my ideas impractical
  2. (intr often foll by about) to exercise the mind as in order to make a decision; ponder
  3. (intr) to be capable of conscious thoughtman is the only animal that thinks
  4. to remember; recollectI can't think what his name is
  5. (intr foll by of) to make the mental choice (of)think of a number
  6. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
    1. to expect; supposeI didn't think to see you here
    2. to be considerate or aware enough (to do something)he did not think to thank them
  7. (intr foll by of) to consider; regardshe thinks of herself as a poet
  8. (intr) to focus the attention on beingthink thin; think big
  9. (tr) to bring into or out of a specified condition by thinkingto think away one's fears
  10. I don't think slang a phrase added to an ironical statementyou're the paragon of virtue, I don't think
  11. think again to reconsider one's decision, opinion, etc
  12. think better of
    1. to change one's mind about (a course of action, decision, etc)
    2. to have a more favourable opinion of (a person)
  13. think much of (usually negative) to have a high opinion of
  14. think nothing of
    1. to regard as routine, easy, or natural
    2. to have no compunction or hesitation about
    3. to have a very low opinion of
  15. think twice to consider carefully before deciding (about something)
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noun
  1. informal a careful, open-minded assessmentlet's have a fresh think about this problem
  2. (modifier) informal characterized by or involving thinkers, thinking, or thoughta think session
  3. you've got another think coming slang you are mistaken and will soon have to alter your opinion
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See also think out, think over, think up
Derived Formsthinker, noun

Word Origin

Old English thencan; related to Old Frisian thenza, Old Saxon thenkian, Old High German denken, Old Norse thekkja, Gothic thagkjan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for thought

n.

Old English þoht, geþoht, from stem of þencan "to conceive of in the mind, consider" (see think). Cognate with the second element in German Gedächtnis "memory," Andacht "attention, devotion," Bedacht "consideration, deliberation." Second thought "later consideration" is recorded from 1640s. Thought-crime is from "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (1949); thought police is attested from 1946, originally in reference to pre-war Japanese Special Higher Police (Tokubetsu Koto Keisatsu).

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think

v.

Old English þencan "conceive in the mind, think, consider, intend" (past tense þohte, p.p. geþoht), probably originally "cause to appear to oneself," from Proto-Germanic *thankjan (cf. Old Frisian thinka, Old Saxon thenkian, Old High German denchen, German denken, Old Norse þekkja, Gothic þagkjan); Old English þencan is the causative form of the distinct Old English verb þyncan "to seem or appear" (past tense þuhte, past participle geþuht), from Proto-Germanic *thunkjan (cf. German dünken, däuchte). Both are from PIE *tong- "to think, feel" which also is the root of thought and thank. The two meanings converged in Middle English and þyncan "to seem" was absorbed, except for archaic methinks "it seems to me." Jocular past participle thunk (not historical, but by analogy of drink, sink, etc.) is recorded from 1876.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
thought in Medicine

thought

(thôt)
n.
  1. The act or the process of thinking; cogitation.
  2. A product of thinking, such as an idea.
  3. The faculty of thinking or reasoning.
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think

(thĭngk)
v.
  1. To exercise the power of reason, as by conceiving ideas, drawing inferences, and using judgment.
  2. To weigh or consider an idea.
  3. To bring a thought to mind by imagination or invention.
  4. To recall a thought or an image to mind.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with thought

thought

see food for thought; lost in thought; on second thought; penny for your thoughts; perish the thought; train of thought. Also see under think.

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think

In addition to the idioms beginning with think

  • think a lot of
  • think aloud
  • think back
  • think better of
  • think big
  • thinking cap
  • think little of
  • think nothing of
  • think on one's feet
  • think out
  • think over
  • think piece
  • think positive
  • think tank
  • think the world of
  • think through
  • think twice
  • think up

also see:

  • come to think of it
  • have another guess (think) coming
  • hear oneself think
  • not think much of
  • put on one's thinking cap
  • wishful thinking

Also see underthought.

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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.