possess

Verb

1. 1

   To have (something) as, or as if as, an owner; to have, to own.

   He does not even possess a working telephone.

   Even where the affections are not strongly moved by any superior excellence, the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds, which hardly any later friend can obtain.

   [T]he ship turned and made slowly for her wharf under the wall, bringing even more fairly to view the life with which the river at that point was possessed.

   He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.

2. 2

   Of an idea, thought, etc.: to dominate (someone's mind); to strongly influence.

   I am poſſeſt with an adulterate blot, / My bloud is mingled with the crime of luſt: […]

   This [suspicion of plague] poſſeſs'd the Heads of the People very much, and few car'd to go thro' Drury-Lane, or the other Streets ſuſpected, unleſs they had extraordinary Buſineſs, that obliged them to it.

   A horrid mistrust of the whole house possessed me. I saw it in the light of a deadly trap.

   I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her, so I asked what I thought would be some sedative questions about her little girl.

3. 3

   Of a supernatural entity, especially one regarded as evil: to take control of (an animal or person's body or mind).

   They thought he was possessed by evil spirits.

   If all the diuels of hell be drawne in little, and Legion himſelfe poſſeſt him, yet Ile ſpeake to him.

   I ſtand centinell perdu, and ſomebody dyes if I ſleepe, I am poſſeſt with the diuell and cannot ſleepe.

   [I]t is manifeſt, that whoſoever behaved himſelfe in extraordinory manner, was thought by the Jewes to be poſſeſſed either with a good, or evill ſpirit; […]

4. 4

   Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.).

   Resolving to possess myself in some quiet if it might be, in a time of so great jealosy, I built by my Brother's permission a study, made a fishpond, an island, and some other solitudes and retirements, at Wotton, which gave the first occasion of improving them to those water-works and gardens which afterwards succeeded them.

   Uneasy persons, who cannot possess their own minds, vent their spleen upon all who depend upon them; […]

   Take me—mould me to your will, possess my heart and soul to all eternity.

   I tried to possess my soul in patience, and to forget how hungry I was.

5. 5

   Of a person: to control or dominate (oneself or someone, or one's own or someone's heart, mind, etc.). To dominate (a person) sexually; to have sexual intercourse with (a person).

   Now tell me how long you would haue her, after you haue poſſeſt her?

   She leads him towards the steps, drawing him by the odour of her armpits, the vice of her painted eyes, the rustle of her slip in whose sinuous folds lurks the lion reek of all the male brutes that have possessed her.

   She would surrender herself avidly, he thought, and greedily enjoy all the intimacies of the bed without ever allowing herself to be possessed.

6. 6

   altertümlichTo cause an idea, thought, etc., to strongly affect or influence (someone); to inspire, to preoccupy.

   What on earth possessed you to go walking by the quarry at midnight?

   My eares are ſtopt, & cannot hear good newes, / So much of bad already hath poſſeſt them.

   Heare is obſerued that in all cauſes the firſt tale poſſeſſeth much, in ſorte, that the preiudice, thereby wrought wil bee hardly remooued, excepte ſome abuſe or falſitie in the Information be detected.

   What a ſtrange drowſines poſſeſſes them?

7. 7

   altertümlichTo occupy the attention or time of (someone).

   [W]hen he [Henry Wotton] was beyond ſeventy years of age he made this deſcription of a part of the preſent pleaſure that poſſeſt him, […]

   [M]y Head quite was turn'd with the Whimſies of foreign Adventures, and all the pleaſant Amuſements of my Farm, and my Garden, my Cattle, and my Family, which before entirely poſſeſt me, were nothing to me, had no Reliſh, and were like Muſick to one that has no Ear, or Food to one that has no Taſte: […]

8. 8

   altertümlichTo obtain or seize (something); to gain, to win.

   [T]hey in ſecret counſell cloſe conſpird, / How to effect ſo hard an enterprize, / And to poſſeſſe the purpoſe they deſird: […]

   [T]here thou maiſt braine him, / Hauing firſt ſeiz'd his bookes: […] Remember / Firſt to poſſeſſe his Bookes; for without them / Hee's but a Sot, as I am; […]

9. 9

   altertümlichChiefly followed by of or with: to vest ownership of something in (oneself or someone); to bestow upon, to endow.

   Lvcius Tarquinius (for his exceſſive pride ſurnamed Superbus) after hee had cauſed his owne father in law Seruius Tullius to be cruelly murdred, and contrarie to the Romaine lawes and cuſtomes, not requiring or ſtaying for the peoples ſuffrages, had poſſeſſed himſelfe of the kingdome: […]

   And for theſe great affaires do aske ſome charge, / Tovvards our aſsiſtance vve doe ſeaze to vs: / The Plate, coine, reuenevves, and moueables / VVhereof our Vnckle Gaunt did ſtand poſſeſt.

   I will poſſeſſe you of that ſhip and Treaſure.

   VVhen in diſgrace with Fortune and mens eyes, / I all alone bevveepe my out-caſt ſtate, / […] / VViſhing me like to one more rich in hope, Featur'd like him, like him with friends poſſeſt, / […] / For thy ſweet loue remembred ſuch vvelth brings, / That then I skorne to change my ſtate with Kings.

10. 10

    To have control or possession of, but not to own (a chattel or an interest in land).

11. 11

    veraltetTo give (someone) information or knowledge; to acquaint, to inform.

    I cannot bid you bid my daughter liue, / That were impoſſible, but I pray you both, / Poſſeſs the people in Meſſina here, / How innocent ſhe died, […]

    To[by Belch]. Poſſeſſe vs, poſſeſſe vs, tell vs ſomething of him. / Mar[ia]. Marrie ſir, ſometimes he is a kinde of Puritane.

    The Pagan in ſhort told him, if hee had any more to poſſeſſe the King he ſhould firſt acquaint him, and conſequently haue an anſwer, to which our Ambaſſadour replyed little, tho diſcontented much, perceiuing by this, he ſhould haue no further acceſſe vnto the King, […]

12. 12

    veraltetTo have the ability to use, or knowledge of (a language, a skill, etc.)

    And Mr. Holt found that Harry could read and write, and poſſeſſed the two languages of French and Engliſh very well, […]

13. 13

    veraltetTo inhabit or occupy (a place).

    [W]ell thou knowſt / God hath pronounc't it death to taſte that Tree, / The only ſign of our obedience left / Among ſo many ſignes of power and rule / Conferrd upon us, and Dominion giv'n / Over all other Creatures that poſſeſſe Earth, Aire, and Sea.

    Wherefore getting out again, on that ſide next to his own Houſe; he [Pliable] told me, I ſhould poſſeſs the brave Countrey alone for him: ſo he went his way, and I came mine.

    [W]e are not willing to let any other Nation ſettle there, becauſe we would not let them ſee how weak we are, and what a vaſt Extent of Land we poſſeſs there with a few Men: […]

    When those bells / Possessed the mid-day air, / Strove not her steps to reach my side / Down all the echoing stair?

14. 14

    veraltetChiefly followed by that: to convince or persuade (someone).

    By ſuch malicious Inſinuations, he had poſſeſs'd the Lady, that he was the only Man in the World, of a ſound, pure, and untainted Conſtitution: […]

15. 15

    To dominate sexually; to have sexual intercourse with.

16. 16

    To inhabit or occupy a place.

    Doſt thou thinke in time / She will not quench, and let inſtructions enter / Where Folly now poſſeſſes?

Formen

Präteritum

possessed

Partizip II

possessed

Partizip I

possessing

3. Person Singular

possesses