Verb

(en-verb)

To interpret or explain the meaning of something.

The world must construe''' according to its wits; this court must '''construe according to the law.

, 1954

(grammar) To analyze the grammatical structure of a clause or sentence.

*

Thus, in a sentence such as:
(113)      John considers [_S Fred'' to be too sure of ''himself'']
the italicised Reflexive ''himself'' can only be construed''' with ''Fred'', not with ''John'': this follows from our assumption that non-subject Reflexives must have an antecedent within their own S. Notice, however, that in a sentence such as:
(114)      ''John'' seems to me [_S — to have perjured ''himself'']
''himself'' must be '''construed with ''John .

To translate.

Verb

(perus)

To examine or consider with care.

* {{quote-book, 1847,

, passage=Sitting on a low stool, a few yards from her arm-chair, I examined her figure; I perused her features.}}

To read completely.

* {{quote-book, 1887,

, passage=We are for reasons that, after perusing this manuscript, you may be able to guess, going away again this time to Central Asia

(informal) To look over casually; to skim.

* {{quote-book, 2001, Doug Stanton, In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis, page=35 citation

, passage=Haynes quickly perused the message, then took it to the captain on the bridge. }}

* {{quote-book, 2005, , Acid Alex, page=98 citation

, passage=She asked Denise for the court file, which she fussed from her handbag. The woman perused it briefly and then beamed up at me.}}

(regional) To go from place to place; to wander.

* {{quote-book, 1957, , The Old Man And The Boy, page=55 citation

, passage=I loved to straggle off in the mornings