discern

/di-ˈsərn/

Middle English discernen "to discriminate, perceive rationally, see," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French discerner, borrowed from Latin discernere "to separate, divide off, distinguish," from dis- dis-cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine"

verb

  1. to detect with the eyes

  2. to detect with senses other than vision

  3. to recognize or identify as separate and distinct : discriminate

discerned a figure approaching through the fog

discerned a strange odor