distinguish

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To perceive as being different or distinct.
2. v. To perceive distinctly; discern: distinguished the masts of ships on the horizon.
3. v. To make noticeable or different; set apart.
4. v. To cause (oneself) to be eminent or recognized: They have distinguished themselves as dedicated social workers.
5. v. To perceive or indicate differences; discriminate: distinguish between right and wrong.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To mark or note in a way to indicate difference; mark as distinct or different; characterize; indicate the difference of.
2. To recognize as different or distinct from what is contiguous or similar; perceive or discover the differences or characteristic marks or qualities of; recognize by some distinctive mark; know or ascertain difference in through the senses or the understanding; perceive or make out.
3. Hence To establish, state, or explain a difference or the differences between two or more things; separate by classification or definition; discriminate; set off or apart.
4. To discern critically; judge.
5. To separate from others by some mark of honor or preference; treat with distinction or honor; make eminent or superior; give distinction to.
6. To make a distinction; find or show a difference: followed by between.
7. To become distinct or distinguishable; become differentiated.

Wiktionary

1. v. To see someone or something as different from others.
2. v. To see someone or something clearly or distinctly.
3. v. To make one's self noticeably different or better from others through accomplishments.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. Not set apart from others by visible marks; to make distinctive or discernible by exhibiting differences; to mark off by some characteristic.
2. v. To separate by definition of terms or logical division of a subject with regard to difference.
3. v. To recognize or discern by marks, signs, or characteristic quality or qualities; to know and discriminate (anything) from other things with which it might be confounded.
4. v. To constitute a difference; to make to differ.
5. v. To separate from others by a mark of honor; to make eminent or known; to confer distinction upon; -- with by or for.
6. v. To make distinctions; to perceive the difference; to exercise discrimination; -- with between.
7. v. rare To become distinguished or distinctive; to make one's self or itself discernible.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. make conspicuous or noteworthy
2. v. mark as different
3. v. detect with the senses
4. v. be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense
5. v. identify as in botany or biology, for example