v. [A comparatively modern word, formed with reference to cognizance, cognizor, and the kindred words, and the earlier recognise. It thus corresponds analogically, but not phonetically, to L. cognōscere, OF. conoistre, F. connaître: cf. COGNOSCE. The prevalence of the ending -ize over -ise is app. due to the influence of the large class of verbs having etymological -IZE.]
† 1. Law. (intr. or absol.) To take cognizance.
1658–9. Chaloner, in Burton’s Diary (1828), III. 129. The Judges … sit at Westminster, and they cognize.
2. trans. To take cognizance of, take note of, notice, observe.
1821. Joseph the Book-Man, 107.
| [He] was cogniz’d by every eye, | |
| As he did gorge, with dignity! |
1889. J. M. Robertson, Ess. Crit. Method, 72. Moved to incipient hysteria where anon I should simply cognize pathos.
3. Philos. To know, perceive, become conscious of; to make (anything) an object of cognition.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph., xxi. (1877), II. 19. It would also be convenient … for psychological precision and emphasis, to use the word to cognise in connection with its noun cognition. Ibid., xxxvi. (1870), II. 329. They first know,—they first cognise, the things and persons presented to them.
1862. H. Spencer, First Princ., I. iv. (1875), 80. It is a material object, and it is cognized by being recognized as such.
1876. Mivart, Lessons fr. Nat., vii. 196. We cognize an object … by one act; we cognize that cognition by a very different act.
Hence Cognizing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1862. F. Hall, Hindu Philos. Syst., 101. The soul’s cognizing consists in this, that itself … apprehends an object through the eye and the other media enumerated.
1878. J. Fiske, in N. Amer. Rev., 31. Take away the cognizing mind, and the color, form, position, and hardness of the table … at once disappear.
