5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Idea  \I*de"a\,  n.;  pl  {Ideas}.  [L.  idea,  Gr  ?,  fr  ?  to  see 
  akin  to  E.  wit:  cf  F.  id['e]e.  See  {Wit}.] 
  1.  The  transcript,  image,  or  picture  of  a  visible  object, 
  that  is  formed  by  the  mind;  also  a  similar  image  of  any 
  object  whatever,  whether  sensible  or  spiritual. 
 
  Her  sweet  idea  wandered  through  his  thoughts. 
  --Fairfax. 
 
  Being  the  right  idea  of  your  father  Both  in  your 
  form  and  nobleness  of  mind.  --Shak. 
 
  This  representation  or  likeness  of  the  object  being 
  transmitted  from  thence  [the  senses]  to  the 
  imagination,  and  lodged  there  for  the  view  and 
  observation  of  the  pure  intellect,  is  aptly  and 
  properly  called  its  idea.  --P.  Browne. 
 
  2.  A  general  notion,  or  a  conception  formed  by 
  generalization. 
 
  Alice  had  not  the  slightest  idea  what  latitude  was 
  --L.  Caroll. 
 
  3.  Hence:  Any  object  apprehended,  conceived,  or  thought  of 
  by  the  mind;  a  notion,  conception,  or  thought;  the  real 
  object  that  is  conceived  or  thought  of 
 
  Whatsoever  the  mind  perceives  in  itself  or  as  the 
  immediate  object  of  perception,  thought,  or 
  undersanding,  that  I  call  idea.  --Locke. 
 
  4.  A  belief,  option,  or  doctrine;  a  characteristic  or 
  controlling  principle;  as  an  essential  idea;  the  idea  of 
  development. 
 
  That  fellow  seems  to  me  to  possess  but  one  idea,  and 
  that  is  a  wrong  one  --Johnson. 
 
  What  is  now  ``idea''  for  us?  How  infinite  the  fall 
  of  this  word  since  the  time  where  Milton  sang  of 
  the  Creator  contemplating  his  newly-created  world,  - 
  ``how  it  showed  .  .  .  Answering  his  great  idea,''  - 
  to  its  present  use  when  this  person  ``has  an  idea 
  that  the  train  has  started,''  and  the  other  ``had  no 
  idea  that  the  dinner  would  be  so  bad!''  --Trench. 
 
  5.  A  plan  or  purpose  of  action  intention;  design. 
 
  I  shortly  afterwards  set  off  for  that  capital,  with 
  an  idea  of  undertaking  while  there  the  translation 
  of  the  work  --W.  Irving. 
 
  6.  A  rational  conception;  the  complete  conception  of  an 
  object  when  thought  of  in  all  its  essential  elements  or 
  constituents;  the  necessary  metaphysical  or  constituent 
  attributes  and  relations,  when  conceived  in  the  abstract. 
 
  7.  A  fiction  object  or  picture  created  by  the  imagination; 
  the  same  when  proposed  as  a  pattern  to  be  copied,  or  a 
  standard  to  be  reached;  one  of  the  archetypes  or  patterns 
  of  created  things  conceived  by  the  Platonists  to  have 
  excited  objectively  from  eternity  in  the  mind  of  the 
  Deity. 
 
  Thence  to  behold  this  new-created  world,  The 
  addition  of  his  empire,  how  it  showed  In  prospect 
  from  his  throne,  how  good,  how  fair,  Answering  his 
  great  idea.  --Milton. 
 
  Note:  ``In  England,  Locke  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  first 
  who  naturalized  the  term  in  its  Cartesian  universality. 
  When  in  common  language,  employed  by  Milton  and 
  Dryden,  after  Descartes,  as  before  him  by  Sidney, 
  Spenser,  Shakespeare,  Hooker,  etc.,  the  meaning  is 
  Platonic.''  --Sir  W.  Hamilton. 
 
  {Abstract  idea},  {Association  of  ideas},  etc  See  under 
  {Abstract},  {Association},  etc 
 
  Syn:  Notion;  conception;  thought;  sentiment;  fancy;  image; 
  perception;  impression;  opinion;  belief;  observation; 
  judgment;  consideration;  view;  design;  intention; 
  purpose;  plan  model;  pattern.  There  is  scarcely  any 
  other  word  which  is  subjected  to  such  abusive  treatment 
  as  is  the  word  idea,  in  the  very  general  and 
  indiscriminative  way  in  which  it  is  employed,  as  it  is 
  used  variously  to  signify  almost  any  act  state,  or 
  content  of  thought. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  idea 
  n  1:  the  content  of  cognition;  the  main  thing  you  are  thinking 
  about  "it  was  not  a  good  idea";  "the  thought  never 
  entered  my  mind"  [syn:  {thought}] 
  2:  a  personal  view;  "he  has  an  idea  that  we  don't  like  him" 
  3:  an  approximate  calculation  of  quantity  or  degree  or  worth; 
  "an  estimate  of  what  it  would  cost";  "a  rough  idea  how 
  long  it  would  take"  [syn:  {estimate},  {estimation},  {approximation}] 
  4:  your  intention;  what  you  intend  to  do  "he  had  in  mind  to 
  see  his  old  teacher";  "the  idea  of  the  game  is  to  capture 
  all  the  pieces"  [syn:  {mind}] 
  5:  melodic  subject  of  a  musical  composition;  "the  theme  is 
  announced  in  the  first  measures";  "the  accompanist  picked 
  up  the  idea  and  elaborated  it"  [syn:  {theme},  {melodic 
  theme},  {musical  theme}] 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  IDEA 
 
  1.    {Interactive  Data  Entry/Access}. 
 
  2.    {International  Data  Encryption  Algorithm}. 
 
  (1996-02-16) 
 
 
 
  From  V.E.R.A.  --  Virtual  Entity  of  Relevant  Acronyms  13  March  2001  [vera]: 
 
  IDEA 
  International  Data  Encryption  Algorithm  (cryptography) 
 
 
 
  From  V.E.R.A.  --  Virtual  Entity  of  Relevant  Acronyms  13  March  2001  [vera]: 
 
  IDEA 
  Internet  Design,  Engineering,  and  Analysis  notes  (IETF) 
 
 

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