perceive
per-SEEVverbMeaning to notice or become aware of, through the senses or the mind
Memory hook PEER and reCEIVE. Sami peers into the night sky and receives a tiny flash of light: a shooting star! To perceive is to take in something with your senses.
Owls can perceive the tiny rustle of a mouse in the grass.
In context At first the change was too small to perceive, but after a month everyone could see that the little tree had grown taller than the fence.
Similar notice, detect, sense, observe
Opposite miss, overlook, ignore
From Latin percipere, “to take hold of completely”: per (thoroughly) + capere (to take).