reception

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act or process of receiving or of being received.
2. n. Football The act or an instance of catching a forward pass.
3. n. A welcome, greeting, or acceptance: a friendly reception.
4. n. A social function, especially one intended to provide a welcome or greeting: a wedding reception.
5. n. Mental approval or acceptance: the reception of a new theory.
6. n. Electronics Conversion of transmitted radio waves or electric signals into perceptible forms, such as sound or light, by means of antennas and electronic equipment.
7. n. Electronics The condition or quality of the waves or signals so received.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of receiving by transfer or delivery; a taking into custody or possession of something tendered or presented; an instance of receipt: as, the reception of an invitation; a taking into place, position, or association; admission to entrance or insertion; a taking or letting in: as, a groove or socket for the reception of a handle; the reception of food in the stomach; reception of a person into society.
2. n. Admission into the mind; a taking into cognizance or consideration; a granting of credence; acceptance: as, the reception of a doctrine.
3. n. A receiving into audience, intercourse, or entertainment; treatment of a person on approach or presentation; greeting or welcome, as of a visitor: as, a cordial reception.
4. n. An occasion of ceremonious or complimentary greeting; an assemblage of persons to be individually received or greeted by an entertainer or by a guest selected for special attention: as, to give weekly receptions.
5. n. A retaking; recapture; recovery.
6. n. Power or capacity of receiving; receptivity; susceptivity.
7. n. In astrology, the interchange of the dignities of two planets, owing to each being in the other's house or exaltation. Synonyms and Reception, Receipt, Recipe. Reception is used of a person or a thing: as, he got a very gracious reception; receipt of a thing; as, the reception or, better, the receipt of news or a letter; recipe, in medicine or, latterly, in cooking. We say a receipt or recipe for making a cake, a receipt for money paid.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of receiving.
2. n. uncountable (electronics) The act or ability to receive radio or similar signals.
3. n. A social engagement, usually to formally welcome someone.
4. n. A reaction.
5. n. The desk of a hotel or office where guests are received.
6. n. UK, education The school year, or part thereof, between preschool and Year 1, when children are introduced to formal education.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of receiving; receipt; admission.
2. n. The state of being received.
3. n. The act or manner of receiving, especially of receiving visitors; entertainment; hence, an occasion or ceremony of receiving guests
4. n. Acceptance, as of an opinion or doctrine.
5. n. obsolete A retaking; a recovery.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. (American football) the act of catching a pass in football
2. n. quality or fidelity of a received broadcast
3. n. a formal party of people; as after a wedding
4. n. the manner in which something is greeted
5. n. the act of receiving