The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Appear \Ap*pear"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Appeared; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Appearing.] [OE. apperen, aperen, OF. aparoir, F.
   apparoir, fr. L. appar?re to appear + par?reto come forth, to
   be visible; prob. from the same root as par?re to produce.
   Cf. Apparent, Parent, Peer, v. i.]
   1. To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible.
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            And God . . . said, Let . . . the dry land appear.
                                                  --Gen. i. 9.
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   2. To come before the public; as, a great writer appeared at
      that time.
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   3. To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or
      superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, or the
      like; to present one's self as a party or advocate before
      a court, or as a person to be tried.
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            We must all appear before the judgment seat. --2
                                                  Cor. v. 10.
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            One ruffian escaped because no prosecutor dared to
            appear.                               --Macaulay.
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   4. To become visible to the apprehension of the mind; to be
      known as a subject of observation or comprehension, or as
      a thing proved; to be obvious or manifest.
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            It doth not yet appear what we shall be. --1 John
                                                  iii. 2.
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            Of their vain contest appeared no end. --Milton.
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   5. To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look.
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            They disfigure their faces, that they may appear
            unto men to fast.                     --Matt. vi.
                                                  16.
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   Syn: To seem; look. See Seem.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Appear \Ap*pear"\, n.
   Appearance. [Obs.] --J. Fletcher.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

appear
    v 1: give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect;
         "She seems to be sleeping"; "This appears to be a very
         difficult problem"; "This project looks fishy"; "They
         appeared like people who had not eaten or slept for a long
         time" [syn: look, appear, seem]
    2: come into sight or view; "He suddenly appeared at the
       wedding"; "A new star appeared on the horizon" [ant:
       disappear, go away, vanish]
    3: be issued or published; "Did your latest book appear yet?";
       "The new Woody Allen film hasn't come out yet" [syn:
       appear, come out]
    4: seem to be true, probable, or apparent; "It seems that he is
       very gifted"; "It appears that the weather in California is
       very bad" [syn: appear, seem]
    5: come into being or existence, or appear on the scene; "Then
       the computer came along and changed our lives"; "Homo sapiens
       appeared millions of years ago" [syn: appear, come along]
       [ant: disappear, vanish]
    6: appear as a character on stage or appear in a play, etc.;
       "Gielgud appears briefly in this movie"; "She appeared in
       `Hamlet' on the London stage"
    7: present oneself formally, as before a (judicial) authority;
       "He had to appear in court last month"; "She appeared on
       several charges of theft"