LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation

prehendō

prehendō (present infinitive prehendere, perfect active prehendī, supine prehēnsum)
Classical[preˈ(ɦ)ɛn.doː]Ecclesiastical[preˈɛn.do]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. to lay hold of, seize, grasp, grab, snatch, take, catch
  2. to detain someone in order to speak with them, accost, lay or catch hold of
  3. to take by surprise, catch in the act
  4. to take root
  5. poeticto reach, arrive at, attain
  6. poeticto take in, reach or embrace with the eye
  7. figurativelyrareto seize, apprehend, comprehend, grasp

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

manū capiō; quod fugit, prehendere difficile est.
prehendō -ere — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Sumere · Capere · Prehendere · Accipere · Excipere · Recipere · Suscipere · Recuperare

1. Sumere (sub-imere) means to take up any thing, in order to use it, like αἱρεῖν; capere (from κάπτειν) to lay hold on any thing, in order to possess it, like λαβεῖν; lastly prehendere, præhendere (from χανδάνειν) to lay hold on any thing, in order, in a mere physical sense, to have it in one’s hand. Cic. Phil. xii. 7. Saga sumpsimus, arma cepimus. 2. Accipere means to take any thing offered, with willingness, δέχεσθαι; excipere, to intercept, or catch any thing that is escaping, ὑποδέχεσθαι; recipere, to take any thing that wants protection, with a generous feeling; suscipere, to undertake, or take upon one’s self any thing burdensome, with self-denial. The accipiens usually takes in his hand; the excipiens, in his arms; the recipiens, in his bosom; the suscipiens, on his arm or back. 3. Recipere means to receive again, without taking pains; whereas recuperare, to regain by one’s own exertion. Liv. xiii. 53, urbem recipit, by merely taking possession; comp. with xxvi. 39, urbe recuperata, by conquest. (iv. 131.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.prehendōprehendēbamprehendamprehendīprehenderamprehenderō
2nd sg.prehendisprehendēbāsprehendēsprehendistīprehenderāsprehenderis
3rd sg.prehenditprehendēbatprehendetprehenditprehenderatprehenderit
1st pl.prehendimusprehendēbāmusprehendēmusprehendimusprehenderāmusprehenderimus
2nd pl.prehenditisprehendēbātisprehendētisprehendistisprehenderātisprehenderitis
3rd pl.prehenduntprehendēbantprehendentprehendērunt
prehendēre		prehenderantprehenderint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.prehendamprehenderemprehenderimprehendissem
2nd sg.prehendāsprehenderēsprehenderīsprehendissēs
3rd sg.prehendatprehenderetprehenderitprehendisset
1st pl.prehendāmusprehenderēmusprehenderīmusprehendissēmus
2nd pl.prehendātisprehenderētisprehenderītisprehendissētis
3rd pl.prehendantprehenderentprehenderintprehendissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.prehendorprehendēbarprehendar
2nd sg.prehenderis
prehendere		prehendēbāris
prehendēbāre		prehendēris
prehendēre
3rd sg.prehenditurprehendēbāturprehendētur
1st pl.prehendimurprehendēbāmurprehendēmur
2nd pl.prehendiminīprehendēbāminīprehendēminī
3rd pl.prehendunturprehendēbanturprehendentur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.prehendarprehenderer
2nd sg.prehendāris
prehendāre		prehenderēris
prehenderēre
3rd sg.prehendāturprehenderētur
1st pl.prehendāmurprehenderēmur
2nd pl.prehendāminīprehenderēminī
3rd pl.prehendanturprehenderentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.prehendeprehendere
pres. 2nd pl.prehenditeprehendiminī
fut. 2nd sg.prehenditōprehenditor
fut. 3rd sg.prehenditōprehenditor
fut. 2nd pl.prehenditōte—
fut. 3rd pl.prehenduntōprehenduntor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitiveprehendereprehendī
perfect infinitiveprehendisseprehēnsum esse
future infinitiveprehēnsūrum esseprehēnsum īrī
present participleprehendēns—
perfect participle—prehēnsus
prehēnsa, prehēnsā, prehēnsae, prehēnsam, prehēnsārum, prehēnsās, prehēnse, prehēnsī, prehēnsīs, prehēnsō, prehēnsōrum, prehēnsōs
future participleprehēnsūrus
prehēnsūra, prehēnsūrā, prehēnsūrae, prehēnsūram, prehēnsūrārum, prehēnsūrās, prehēnsūre, prehēnsūrī, prehēnsūrīs, prehēnsūrō, prehēnsūrōrum, prehēnsūrōs, prehēnsūrum		prehendendus
prehendundus, prehendenda, prehendendā, prehendendae, prehendendam, prehendendārum, prehendendās, prehendende, prehendendīs, prehendendōrum, prehendendōs
gerundprehendendī, prehendendō, prehendendumsupineprehēnsum, prehēnsū

prĕhendo (prae-) and sync. pren-do (praen-), di, sum, 3, v. a. prae-hendo; cf. Gr. γεντο, χανδάνω,
I. to lay hold of, to grasp, snatch, seize, catch, take (class.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: prehende auriculis, take by the ear-laps, a form of affectionate salutation, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 78: sine te exorem, sine te prendam auriculis, sine dem savium, id. Poen. 1, 2, 163; cf. Tib. 2, 5, 92: fauces alicui, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 62: quis me properantem prehendit pallio? catches me by the cloak, id. Ep. 1, 1, 1: dexteram, id. ib. 2, 3, 65.—Of an embrace' alter ubi alterum bilingui manufesto inter se praehendunt, Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 15; cf.: aliquem manu, Cic. de Or. 1, 56, 240: perdix aucupem jam jam prehensurum effugiens, Plin. 10, 33, 51, § 103; 30, 5, 12, § 40: pisces, Vulg. Johan. 21, 10.—
B. In partic.
1. To seize, occupy suddenly, take violent possession of: Pharum, Caes. B. C. 3, 112, 3: quam prendimus arcem, occupy, take refuge in, Verg. A. 2, 322.—
2. To lay or catch hold of, to detain one in order to speak with him: tuos pater modo me prehendit: ait, etc., Ter. And. 2, 2, 16: prendo hominem solum: Cur non, inquam, id. Phorm. 4, 3, 15: Syrus est prehendendus, atque exhortandus mihi, id. Heaut. 3, 1, 89: dextrā prehensum Continuit, Verg. A. 2, 592; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 2: prende C. Septimium, Cic. Att. 12, 13, 2.—
3. To seize, take by surprise, catch in the act; constr. with in and abl., the simple abl., or gen.: in furto ubi sis prehensus, Plaut. As. 3, 2, 17: in patenti Prensus Aegaeo, Hor. C. 2, 16, 1: prensus manifesto furto, Gell. 11, 18, 7: eā nocte speculatores prensi servi tres, Auct. B. Hisp. 20, 5: quem mendaci praendit manufestum modo, caught in a lie, Plaut Bacch. 4, 4, 45.—
4. Of trees, to take root: quarum stirpes tellus amplexa prehendit, Cic. Arat. 116: ut cum (pirorum plantae) prehenderint, inserantur, Pall. 3, 25: vites transferre, sine ambiguitate prehendendi, id. 3, 10.—
5. To reach, attain, arrive at (poet.): tandem Italiae fugientes prendimus oras, Verg. A. 6, 61.—
6. Poet., to take in with the eye, to reach with the eye: prendere aliquid oculorum lumine, Lucr. 4, 1143: vix oculo prendente modum, taking in, embracing, Luc. 4, 20.—
II. Trop., of the mind, to seize, apprehend, comprehend (very rare): cum animus ipsum (res omnes) moderantem atque regentem paene praehenderit, Cic. Leg. 1, 23, 61.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*gʰed-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*gʰnédti
  8. Proto-Italic*hendō
  9. Proto-Italic*praiɣendō
  10. Latinprehendō

From Proto-Italic *praiɣendō, from *prai- (“before”, whence prae-) + *hendō (“to hold”, which has no unaffixed descendants). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed-; akin to Ancient Greek χᾰνδᾰ́νω (khăndắnō, “to hold, contain”) and English get. The vowel probably underwent regular reduction in prefixed variants (*-praind- > -prēnd-) and was backported into the base form. Doublet of praeda (“prey”) and hedera (“ivy”).

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanprendre
  • Occitanprene
  • Occitanpréner
  • Occitanprendre
  • Franco-Provençalprendre
  • Old Frenchprendre
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianprèndere
  • Sardinianprènnere
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseprenderfrom Old Galician-Portuguese prender
  • Spanishprender
  • Aragoneseprener
  • Aragoneseprenre
  • Galicianprenderfrom Old Galician-Portuguese prender
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianprinde
  • Aromanianprindu
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianprendere
  • Dalmatianprendro
  • Sicilianprènniri
  • Old Venetanpender
Borrowings
  • Englishprehend
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Romanshprender
Elsewhere
  • Vulgar Latin*imprehendere

In English words that came into English from prehendō

  • prizeprēndō
  • enterpriseinter
  • surpriseprendere
  • prisonprehensiōnem
  • apprenticeapprendō
  • comprehensioncomprehēnsiō
  • apprehendapprehendere
  • comprehendcomprehendere
  • comprisecomprehendere
  • apprehensionapprehensio
  • comprehensivecomprehēnsīvus
  • apprehensiveapprehensīvus
  • comprehensiblecomprehēnsibilis
  • reprehensiblereprehensibilis
  • appriseapprēndere
  • reprehendreprehendo
  • reprehensionreprehensio
  • prehendprehendere
  • prehensionprehensio
  • prenderprehendere
  • emprise*imprensa
  • purprestureprehendere

Quick answers

What does prehendō mean in Latin?
prehendō, a verb, means “to lay hold of, seize, grasp, grab, snatch, take, catch; to detain someone in order to speak with them, accost, lay or catch hold of; to take by surprise, catch in the act”.
What are the principal parts of prehendō?
prehendō, prehendere, prehendī, prehēnsum (third conjugation).
How do you pronounce prehendō?
In classical Latin, [preˈ(ɦ)ɛn.doː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [preˈɛn.do].
Where does prehendō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *per- → Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- → Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? → Proto-Italic *prai → Proto-Italic *prai- → Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- → Proto-Indo-European *gʰnédti → Proto-Italic *hendō → Proto-Italic *praiɣendō → Latin prehendō.
Which English words come from prehendō?
English words that go back to Latin prehendō include prize, enterprise, prehend, prender, purpresture and surprise.