Etimology
From Middle English receiven, from Old French receivre, from Latin recipere (“take back, accept, etc.”), from re- (“back”) + capiō (“to take”); see capacious. Compare conceive, deceive, perceive. Displaced native Middle English terms in -fon/-fangen (e.g. afon, anfon, afangen, underfangen, etc. "to receive" from Old English -fōn), native Middle English thiggen (“to receive”) (from Old English þiċġan), and non-native Middle English aquilen, enquilen (“to receive”) (from Old French aquillir, encueillir).
verb
receive (third-person singular simple present receives, present participle receiving, simple past and past participle received)
To take, as something that is offered, given, committed, sent, paid, etc.; to accept; to be given something.
(law) To take goods knowing them to be stolen.
To act as a host for guests; to give admittance to; to permit to enter, as into one's house, presence, company, etc.
To incur (an injury).
To allow (a custom, tradition, etc.); to give credence or acceptance to.
(telecommunications) To detect a signal from a transmitter.
(sports) To be in a position to take possession, or hit back the ball.
(transitive, intransitive) To accept into the mind; to understand.
Examples
She received many presents for her birthday.
Our hearts receiue your warnings.
The idea of solidity we receive by our touch.
[T]he braſen Altar that was before the Lord was too little to receiue the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.
And afterwards Thou [God] receivedst Seth and Enoch, and Enoch Thou translatedst; for Thou art the Creator of men, the Fountain of Life, the Supplier of Want, the Giver of Laws, the Rewarder of them that keep them, the Avenger of them that transgress them.
Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
In America alone, people spent $170 billion on "direct marketing"—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result.
to receive a lodger, visitor, ambassador, messenger, etc.
And the barbarous people ſhewed vs no little kindneſſe: for they kindled a fire, and receiued us euery one becauſe of the preſent raine, and becauſe of the cold.
In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for the select circle—a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening for a pipe and a cheerful glass. [...] Strangers might enter the room, but they were made to feel that they were there on sufferance; they were received with distance and suspicion.
I received a bloody nose from the collision.
But because this is oftentimes dangerous, and much hurt hath been received thereby through casualty of fire, I advise the sticking four stakes into the earth, at least five feet above the ground [...]
For the Phariſes and all the Jewes, except they waſh their hands oft, eate not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they waſh, they eate not. And many other things there be, which they have receiued to hold, as the waſhing of cups and pots, braſen veſſels, and of tables.
I cannot receive [translating recevoir] that manner, whereby we establish the continuance of our life.
Related words
related terms
receipt
receivable
receivableness
receival
receiveable
receiver
receivership
receptacle
reception
receptionist
receptive
recipient
noun
receive (plural receives)
(telecommunications) An operation in which data is received.
Examples
In the sonification of the PDE code, notes are scattered throughout a wide pitch range, and sends and receives are relatively balanced; although in the beginning of the application there are bursts of sends […]