Talk:possess

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RFV
"To occupy." How would this be used? Equinox ◑ 16:12, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * "The person was possessed by the devil". "occupy" is synonymous here.  Collect (talk) 17:22, 12 April 2012 (UTC) ("Occupy" is "to take possession of" MW). Collect (talk) 17:25, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Seems redundant to the preceding sense, "To take control of someone's body or mind, especially in a supernatural manner", in that case. - -sche (discuss) 18:18, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Yes, and taking possession is not synonymous with (already) possessing. You wouldn't say "the army possessed the city yesterday" (referring to a specific objective they achieved). Equinox ◑ 20:02, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * The correct def should likely be "to take or retain control" as it is not an act of a single instant in time, but one of a continuation of a state. Collect (talk) 20:31, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * In former times, was definitely used in an instantaneous aspect:
 * Is this purely historical, or are there instances of possess being used in this way more recently? -- Eiríkr Útlendi │ Tala við mig 20:50, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * take: seems to involve more or less a single instant, whereas retain: does not. DCDuring TALK 22:02, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * "Possess" is a continuing act -- that is an item once taken and not given back is still "possessed." Collect (talk) 22:11, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * But not in all use cases, as illustrated by the Shakespeare quote, and as remaining in certain modern usages -- "to be possessed of something", for instance, is an extension of the line from Sir Toby -- "possess us" in terms of something like "take us into your confidence, let us know something". In this use,  refers to the change in state from not knowing, to knowing -- from not having the information, to having it.  -- Eiríkr Útlendi │ Tala við mig 22:28, 12 April 2012 (UTC)
 * But not in all use cases, as illustrated by the Shakespeare quote, and as remaining in certain modern usages -- "to be possessed of something", for instance, is an extension of the line from Sir Toby -- "possess us" in terms of something like "take us into your confidence, let us know something". In this use,  refers to the change in state from not knowing, to knowing -- from not having the information, to having it.  -- Eiríkr Útlendi │ Tala við mig 22:28, 12 April 2012 (UTC)


 * Look, and note User_talk:Eirikr. - -sche (discuss) 21:33, 27 June 2012 (UTC)
 * Struck. - -sche (discuss) 19:09, 1 October 2012 (UTC)

have sex with somebody
to have sexual intercourse with somebody (dated) (sometimes considered offensive) --Backinstadiums (talk) 06:49, 26 September 2020 (UTC)