especially: to sense the meaning of (data) in recorded and coded form —used of a computer or data processor
A compiler is a program that translates instructions written by a human programmer into more specific codes that can be directly read by a computer. John Markoff
b
: to read the coded information on (something, such as a CD)
I had a minor problem with the disk drive in that the machine would not read the disk the first time it was powered up each day but had to be turned off and back on again. Robert Moskowitz
Verb She learned to read at a very early age. I can't read your handwriting. He likes reading the newspaper. She reads a lot of mystery novels. She starts work every day by reading her e-mail. Didn't you read the instructions? Please read from Chapter 5 through Chapter 10. He read the poem aloud. He wrote down the address I gave him and read it back to me. Her mother read to her every night at bedtime. Noun He reviewed the book after several reads. She was lying in bed having a peaceful read. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Skinner tells us that, to make his new and isolated life more bearable, Machiavelli would retire every evening to his study to read and think. Win Mccormack, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 Anyone who has ever read a terms of service agreement knows that legal documents can be downright incomprehensible. Mark Pratt, ajc, 15 Sep. 2022 Adapted from an Alice Hoffman novel of the same name, reviewers have called it out for awkward tonal shifts, but as anyone who has actually read an Alice Hoffman book already knows that's a feature, not a bug. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2022 In each show, audience members are invited to write love letters to the city, and some are read onstage. Heather Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Sep. 2022 Jeff Pearlman, who published a comprehensive biography of Green Bay Packers icon Brett Favre, had some scathing words for Favre on social media Tuesday, telling fans to outright not read the book. Jr Radcliffe, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022 Kirill sent a message to the congress read aloud by Anthony. Nicole Winfield, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2022 Be sure to read our guides to the Best Earbuds, Best Wireless Headphones, Best Workout Headphones, Best Cheap Headphones, and Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for more. Parker Hall, WIRED, 14 Sep. 2022 This painting, so like a weathered tombstone, is not hard to see but is very hard to read.Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022
Adjective
Last year, when the Ravens ran read-option plays, which make defenses account for Jackson as a potential runner, Devonta Freeman had a team-high 14 attempts for 137 yards on zone schemes, according to Sports Info Solutions. Jonas Shaffer, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2022 The French author was the fourth most read writer in France in 2020, with more than 7 million books sold in France and translated in more than 20 countries. Variety Staff, Variety, 4 Sep. 2022 SSDs can't, however, because the lack of a physical read head means data can be stored anywhere without penalty.PCMAG, 26 Aug. 2022 The read data is sent back within the HTTP response body. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 30 June 2022 Get some pre-read and pre-work done and shorten time together to be focused on meaty discussion and debate. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 20 May 2022 The Amazon Glow is a projector and video calling device that allows loved ones far away to do everything from read books, play games, create art projects and have digital adventures together. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 14 Apr. 2022 Meanwhile, Santiago also pursued bodybuilding, read philosophy, and wrote poetry and science fiction. Matthew Hutson, WSJ, 11 Mar. 2022 His unique ability to stay balanced, read coverage and change direction has given him the ability to beat every type of coverage this season. Charlie Goldsmith, The Enquirer, 10 Feb. 2022
Noun
Suspenseful and timely, Lanchester's work is a compelling read of modern sociological issues seen through an affecting lens only the best fiction can achieve. Robert English, EW.com, 17 Sep. 2022 DeAngelis adds the guide is a quick read, an intentional choice by the Principal Recovery Network. Amanda Musa, CNN, 3 Sep. 2022 David Foster Wallace is one of the greatest American writers ever and his take on tennis is an outstanding read. Mark Stock, Men's Health, 31 Aug. 2022 Although this is heavy-going for most of us, the scientific paper is a remarkably fascinating read and well worth the effort. Davey Winder, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 This book is a great read for aviation enthusiasts as well as young people, and anyone with big dreams. Lucia Cheng, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2022 This book is a great read for those who are on the journey to digitally transform their business. Thomas Loftus, WSJ, 21 July 2022 Waldon's novel is a quick and fun read that's hard to put down. Usa Today Staff, USA TODAY, 10 July 2022 Fitzgerald’s immersion in this strange new world is a riveting read, dangerous money drops offset by scenes befriending young children awaiting eye tests. Stuart Miller, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English reden "to counsel, order, decide, guide, govern, realize, grasp the meaning of, interpret, explain, teach, look at and understand (written symbols), say aloud (something written)," going back to Old English rǣdan, (non-West Saxon) rēdan "to rule, direct, decide, deliberate, counsel, suppose, guess, expound the meaning of (as a riddle or dream), look at and understand (written symbols), say aloud (something written)," going back to Germanic *rēdan- (whence also Old Frisian rēda "to advise, protect, help, plan, decide," Old Saxon rādan "to consult, guess, take care of, counsel,", Old High German rātan "to advise, deliberate, assist," Old Icelandic ráða "to advise, counsel, decide, determine, plan, rule, explain, interpret," Gothic garedan "to make provision for," fauragarairoþ "[s/he] predestined"), going back to an Indo-European verbal base *(H)reh1dh- "carry through successfully," whence also Sanskrit rādhati "will bring about," rādhnóti "(s/he) achieves, prepares, satisfies," Avestan rādat̰ "will make right"; from a causative *(H)roh1dh-éi̯e-, Gothic rodjan "to speak, talk," Old Icelandic ræða "to speak, converse," Old Irish ráidid "(s/he) speaks, says, tells," imm-rádi "(s/he) thinks, reflects," Welsh adroddaf "(I) utter, say, relate," Old Church Slavic neraždǫ, neraditi "to have no care for, take no heed of" (also neroždǫ, neroditi), radi "for the sake of," Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian ráditi "to work, do," Lithuanian ródyti "to show"
Note: Old English rǣdan was a Class VII strong verb, with evidence of reduplication (past tense reord), though also conjugated as a weak verb; by the Middle English period evidence for strong conjugation is vestigial. The expected outcome of Anglian rēdan would be *reed, reflecting Middle English close long e; the predominance of read, reflecting open long e, is perhaps due to interference from outcomes of Germanic *raidja- (see ready entry 1). This is essentially the conclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, which assembles a number of presumed outcomes of *raidja- under a somewhat shadowy verb rede, the inflected forms of which can be difficult to distinguish from redd and rid (see redd entry 1, rid). — As is evident from the number of glosses, the Old and Middle English verbs covered a remarkably broad range of meanings. Those senses not having to do with the act of reading are now mostly represented by the spelling rede in Modern English (see rede). Though the sense "interpret" is evident in Old Norse, adaptation of this verb to refer to visual processing of written language is peculiar to Old English (and hence to Modern English); to express this idea other Germanic languages, excepting Gothic, have adapted, either by inheritance or loan, outcomes of the verb *lesan- "to gather, select," presumably as a calque on Latin legere (see legend). — A confusingly broad spectrum of meanings also characterizes the verb's Indo-European congeners, while the formal similarities are close. The gloss "carry through successfully" for *(H)reh1dh- ("erfolgreich durchführen") in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Ausgabe, applies best only to the Indo-Iranian forms.