An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. The state of being conscious; awareness of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.
   

2. The thoughts and feelings, collectively, of an individual or of an aggregate of people.
   

3. Philo.: The mind or the mental faculties as characterized by thought, feelings, and volition (Dictionary.com).

See also: → conscious; → -ness.