From Middle English reden, from Old English rǣdan (“to counsel, advise, consult; interpret, read”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną (“advise, counsel”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“to arrange”). Cognate with Scots rede, red (“to advise, counsel, decipher, read”), Saterland Frisian räide (“to advise, counsel”), West Frisian riede (“to advise, counsel”), Dutch raden (“to advise; guess”), German raten (“to advise; guess”), Danish råde (“to advise”), Swedish råda (“to advise, counsel”), Persian رده (rade, “to order, to arrange, class”). In West Germanic the verb had a sense “interpret”, which developed further into “interpret letters” in English and “interpret by intuition, guess” on the continent. Compare rede.
To look at and interpret letters or other information that is written.
Have you read this book?
He doesn’t like to read.
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During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant[…]1661, John Fell, The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond:
She reads Playgirl magazine, goes to a male-strip joint and then complains about sexual harassment on the job.1982, Robert M. Evenson, “"Liberated" Woman"”, in The Cincinnati Enquirer:
On this occasion he was carrying in his right hand a copy of the English-language China News, an odd touch because the President did not read English.1983, James C. H. Shen, “A Round of Calls”, in Robert Myers, editor, The U.S. & Free China: How the U.S. Sold Out Its Ally, Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books Ltd., →ISBN, page 112:
2
Ergative, Of text To be understood or physically read in a specific way.
Arabic reads right to left.
That sentence reads strangely.
3
Metonymically To read a work or works written by the named author.
At the moment I'm reading Milton.
4
To speak aloud words or other information that is written. (often construed with a to phrase or an indirect object)
He read us a passage from his new book.
All right, class, who wants to read next?
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In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […] and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement. […]1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
5
To interpret, or infer a meaning, significance, thought, intention, etc., from.
She read my mind and promptly rose to get me a glass of water.
I can read his feelings in his face.
6
To consist of certain text.
On the door hung a sign that read "No admittance".
7
Ergative To substitute a corrected piece of text in place of an erroneous one; used to introduce an emendation of a text.
In Livy, it is nearly certain that for Pylleon we should read Pteleon, as this place is mentioned in connection with Antron.1832, John Lemprière et al., Bibliotheca classica, Seventh Edition, W. E. Dean, page 263
The sign of coefficient a(3) in the general formula of Table 2 should be plus instead of minus. Thus, the formula should read […]2001, Astronomy & Astrophysics, volume 376, issue 3, p. 1039
8
Broadly, Ergative, Humorous, Imperative, Ironic, Usually Used to introduce a blunter, actually intended meaning.
Our school focuses primarily on the liberal arts (read "useless degrees").
Eliminate illogical (read: stupid) answer choices.2009, Suzee Vlk et al., The GRE Test for Dummies, 6th edition, Wiley Publishing, →ISBN, page 191:
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Parents, meanwhile, deplored [Bratz dolls] as far too adult (read: slutty) for kids, accusing the doe-eyed, pouty-lipped toys of fostering unhealthy body images among young girls.2010 December 23, Tamara Weston, “From Tickle Me Elmo to Squinkies: Top 10 Toy Crazes”, in Time:
I also did a long-wear test, as y'do and after scoffing my face with some food (read: I am feral when it comes to a midday snack, so what), the striking colour that I was wearing, named 'Jet', had stayed put. Pigment, check ✅.2023 May 12, Lia Mappoura, “I tried Glossier's brand new G Suit lip crèmes so you don't have to – you're welcome”, in Cosmopolitan:
A repeater signal may be used where the track geometry makes the main signal difficult to read from a distance.
11
Commonwealth To study (a subject) at a high level, especially at university.
Except Scotland
I am reading theology at university.
Crabbe wanted him to go to England, to read for a degree there.1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 94:
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences To fetch data from (a storage medium, etc.).
to read a hard disk
to read a port
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to read the keyboard
13
To recognise (someone) as being transgender.
Every time I go outside, I worry that someone will read me.
14
To call attention to the flaws of (someone) in a playful, taunting, or insulting way.
At first especially in the black LGBTQ community
I've seen drags "read" an unattractive transsexual until she was almost in tears.1976 August 7, Tommi Avicolli, “The Politics of Camp”, in Gay Community News, page 9:
Snapping, we are told, comes from reading, or exposing hidden flaws in a person's life, and out of reading comes shade […]1997, Framing Culture: Africanism, Sexuality and Performance, page 186 (also discussing Paris is Burning)
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CB [a black gay person being quoted]: "So, one time I read him and we were standing downstairs at the front desk in the dorm and I read him and there was this little bell […]." In the first example, the interviewee [CB] used snapping to read his white friend in a playful way, […].2003, Philip Auslander, Performance: Media and technology, page 179:
[One] assumes that such language contests are racially motivated—black folks talking back to white folks. However, the ball world makes it clear that blacks can read each other too.2013, Queer Looks, page 114 (discussing Paris is Burning and "the ball world")
15
To imagine sequences of potential moves and responses without actually placing stones.
But now, faire Ladie, comfort to you make, / And read[…] / That short reuenge the man may ouertake […]1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
[T]herfore / I red the [thee] / gete the [thee] to Gods vvorde ãd [and] therby trye all doctrine and agenſt that receave nothinge.1528 October 12 (Gregorian calendar), William Tyndale, “The .IIIJ. Senses of yͤ Scripture”, in The Obediẽce of a Christen Man […], [Antwerp]: [Johannes Hoochstraten], →OCLC, folio cxlvi, verso:
This is the wandring wood, this Errours den, / A monster vile, whom God and man does hate: / Therefore I read beware.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 6:
But read how art thou named, and of what kin.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
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Video games To predict another player's actions before they perform them or before they are apparent.
From Middle English reden, from Old English rǣdan (“to counsel, advise, consult; interpret, read”), from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną (“advise, counsel”), from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“to arrange”). Cognate with Scots rede, red (“to advise, counsel, decipher, read”), Saterland Frisian räide (“to advise, counsel”), West Frisian riede (“to advise, counsel”), Dutch raden (“to advise; guess”), German raten (“to advise; guess”), Danish råde (“to advise”), Swedish råda (“to advise, counsel”), Persian رده (rade, “to order, to arrange, class”). In West Germanic the verb had a sense “interpret”, which developed further into “interpret letters” in English and “interpret by intuition, guess” on the continent. Compare rede.
1
A reading or an act of reading, especially of an actor's part of a play or a piece of stored data.
I had a read of the evening papers.
One newswoman here lets magazines for a penny a read.1879, Frederick James Furnivall, letter to the editor of "The Spectator":
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And when he finishes supper / Planning to have a read at the evening paper / It's Put a screw in this wall— / He has no time at all[…]1958, Philip Larkin, Self's the Man:
In other words, the system can do 1200 reads per second with no writes, the average write is twice as slow as the average read, and the relationship is linear.2006, MySQL administrator's guide and language reference, page 393:
2
In compounds Something to be read; a written work.
His thrillers are always a gripping read.
3
A person's interpretation or impression of something.
What's your read of the current political situation?
On the quarterback's first read of the situation, his target receiver was not open.
4
An instance of reading (“calling attention to someone's flaws; a taunt or insult”).
At first especially in the black LGBTQ community
[As] Corey points out, "if you and I are both black queens then we can't call each other black queens because that's not a read. That's a [fact]."1997, Framing Culture: Africanism, Sexuality and Performance, page 186 (also discussing Paris is Burning)
Like most African-American women, Pearlie Mae uses snapping in many of the same ways that black gay men use it: to accentuate a read.2003, Philip Auslander, Performance: Media and technology, page 185:
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I learned that it was acceptable to be witty, especially if you were one of the wearblackallthetime, deconstructivist, radical, feministbitchydiva girls who could give a harsh read (i.e., critique) or throw shade […].2013, bell hooks, Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom, →ISBN:
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Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Natural sciences, Physical sciences The identification of a specific sequence of genes in a genome or bases in a nucleic acid string.