English主要词典
possess
Universal Words
verb (not used in the progressive tenses)
1 [VN] (formal) to have or own sth:
He was charged with possessing a shotgun without a licence. * I'm afraid this is the only suitcase I possess. * The gallery possesses a number of the artist's early works. * Belgium was the first European country to possess a fully-fledged rail network.
2 [VN] (formal) to have a particular quality or feature:
I'm afraid he doesn't possess a sense of humour. * He credited her with a maturity she did not possess.
3 [VN] [usuallypassive] (literary) (of a feeling, an emotion, etc.) to have a powerful effect on sb and control the way that they think, behave, etc:
A terrible fear possessed her.
4 [VNtoinf] (used in negative sentences and questions) to make sb do sth that seems strange or unreasonable:
What possessed him to say such a thing?
