word sense

the specific meaning or interpretation of a word in a given context or language

Word sense refers to one of the specific meanings of a word in different contexts. Many words have multiple senses, meaning their interpretation can change depending on how they are used. For example, the word "bat" can refer to a flying mammal or a piece of sports equipment used in baseball. Understanding word sense is important for accurate communication, as the correct meaning must be determined based on context. It plays a key role in linguistics, especially in areas like semantics and lexicography, where the goal is to clearly define and distinguish between different meanings of words.