- a person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place目击者; 见证人：
police are appealing for witnesses to the accident
警察正在呼吁那次事故目击者出来提供帮助
I was witness to one of the most amazing comebacks in sprinting history.
我目睹了短跑历史上一次最令人称奇的东山再起。
- a person giving sworn testimony to a court of law or the police（法庭等的）证人。
- a person who is present at the signing of a document and signs it themselves to confirm this（在文件中签名的）见证人, 连署人。
- mass noun evidence; proof证据; 证言：
the memorial service was witness to the wide circle of his interest.
那个追悼仪式证明了他兴趣之广泛。
- used to refer to confirmation or evidence given by signature, under oath, or otherwise证词：
in witness thereof, the parties sign this document.
各方签署此文件以资证明。
- open profession of one's religious faith through words or actions通过言语或行动公开承认自己的宗教信仰：
he told us of faithful Christian witness by many in his country.
他跟我们说了他国家中许多人公开承认是虔诚的基督徒。
- （亦作witness mark）[count noun] a line or remnant of an original surface on a workpiece to show how much material has been removed or the shape of the original outline证明标志（工作部件上的一条线或原表面的残余部分, 表明加工去掉了多少料, 或原来的外形）。
- with obj. see (an event, typically a crime or accident) take place目击, 见证（犯罪、事故等）：
staff who witnessed the murder.
目击谋杀的员工。
- have knowledge of (an event or change) from personal observation or experience（通过亲身观察或经历）得知：
what we are witnessing is the birth of a dangerously liberal orthodoxy.
我们正目睹危险的有自由主义倾向的正统观念的产生。
- (of a time, place, or other context) be the setting in which (a particular event) takes place（时间、地点等）看到, 目睹, 是发生在（时间、地点等）：
the 1980s witnessed an unprecedented increase in the scope of the electronic media.
20世纪80年代, 电子传媒得到了空前的发展。
- be present as someone signs (a document) or gives (their signature) to a document and sign it oneself to confirm this在（文件）上签名作证, 连署：
the clerk witnessed her signature.
该职员连署为她的签名作证。
- in imperative look at (used to introduce a fact illustrating a preceding statement)瞧瞧, 看看（用于证明前面论述的正确性）：
the nuclear family is a vulnerable institution -- witness the rates of marital breakdown.
核心家庭是一种脆弱的组织形式——看看婚姻破裂的比率就知道了。
- no obj.
witness to
give or serve as evidence of; testify to作证, 证明： his writings witness to an inner toughness.
他的作品证明了他内心的坚韧。
- (of a person) openly profess one's religious faith in（人）公开表明自己的宗教信仰：
one of the purposes of his coming was to nerve the disciples to witness to Jesus.
他来的目的之一就是鼓动门徒们公开表明自己对耶稣的信仰。
as God is my witness（或God be my witness）
- an invocation of God as confirmation of the truth of a statement上帝作证, 老天作证（用于确认事实）：
God be my witness, sir, I didn't!
老天作证, 先生, 我没干！
call someone or something to witness
- archaic appeal or refer to someone or something for confirmation or evidence of something〈古〉请…作证; 传…作证。