Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Con
Con
,adv.
[Abbrev. from L.
contra
against.] Against the affirmative side; in opposition; on the negative side; – The antithesis of pro, and usually in connection with it. See
Pro
. Con
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Conned
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Conning
.] 1.
To know; to understand; to acknowledge.
[Obs.]
Of muses, Hobbinol, I
con
no skill. Spenser.
They say they
con
to heaven the highway. Spenser.
2.
To study in order to know; to peruse; to learn; to commit to memory; to regard studiously.
Fixedly did look
Upon the muddy waters which he
As if he had been reading in a book.
Upon the muddy waters which he
conned
As if he had been reading in a book.
Wordsworth.
I did not come into Parliament to
con
my lesson. Burke.
To con answer
, to be able to answer.
[Obs.]
– To con thanks
, to thank; to acknowledge obligation.
[Obs.]
Shak.
Con
,Verb.
T.
[See
Cond
.] (Naut.)
To conduct, or superintend the steering of (a vessel); to watch the course of (a vessel) and direct the helmsman how to steer.
Webster 1828 Edition
Con
CON.
A Latin inseparable preposition or prefix to other words. Ainsworth remarks that con and cum habe the same signification, but that cum is used separately, and con in composition. Con and cum may be radically distinct words. The Irish comh, or coimh, is equivalent to the Latin con; and the Welsh cym, convertible into cyv, appears to be the same word, denoting, says Owen, a mutual act, quality or effect. It is precisely equivalent to the Latin com, in comparo, compono, and the Latin com, in composition, may be the Celtic comh or cym. But generally it seems to be con, changed into com. Ainsworth deduces cum from the Greek; for originally it was written cyn. But this is probably a mistake.Con coincides in radical letters and in signification with the Teutonic gain, gen, gean, igen, igien, in the English again, against; Sax. Gean, ongean; sw. Igen; Dan. Igien. Whatever may be its origin or affinities, the primary sense of the word is probably from some root that signifies to meet or oppose, or turn and meet; to approach to, or to be with. This is the radical sense of most propositions of the like import. See the English with, again. So in Irish, coinne, a meeting; as coinne, opposite.
Con, in compounds, is change into l before l, as in colligo, to collect, and into m before a labial, as in comparo, to compare. Before a vowel or h, the na is dropped; as in coalesco, to coalesce, to cooperate; cohibeo, to restrain. I denotes union, as in conjoin; or opposition, as in conflict, contend.
CON, [abbreviated from Latin contra, against.] In the phrase, pro and con, for and against, con denotes the negative side of a question. As a noun, a person who is in the negative; as the pros and cons.
CON, v.t. [to know, to be able, to be skillful or wise; and to bear or bring forth, Gr. To try, to attempt, to prove, L., whence cunning, skillful, experienced, or skill, experience; coincides in sense with to begin, to try to attempt. G. To know; to be able. The primary sense is, to strain or stretch, which gives the sense of strength, power, as in can, and of holding, containing, comprehending, as contain, from contineo, teneo, Gr., L. To beget or to bring forth. In the sense of know, con signifies to hold or to reach.]
1.
To know.I conne no skill.
I shall not conne answer. I shall not know or be able to answer.
2.
To make ones self master of; to fix in the mend or commit to memory; as, to con a lesson.To con thanks, to be pleased or obliged, or to thank.