Part 418

Con, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Conned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Conning.] [AS. cunnan to know, be able, and (derived from this) cunnian to try, test. See Can, v. t. & i.] 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 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, v. 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.

Con*a"cre (?), v. t. To underlet a portion of, for a single crop; -- said of a farm. [Ireland]

Con*a"cre, n. A system of letting a portion of a farm for a single crop. [Ireland] Also used adjectively; as, the conacre system or principle. Mozley & W.

||Co*na"ri*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. kwna`rion.] (Anat.) The pineal gland.

Co*na"tion (?), n. [L. conatio.] (Philos.) The power or act which directs or impels to effort of any kind, whether muscular or psychical.

Of conation, in other words, of desire and will. J. S. Mill.

Co"na*tive (? or ?), a. [See Conatus.] Of or pertaining to conation.

This division of mind into the three great classes of the cognitive faculties, the feelings, . . . and the exertive or conative powers, . . . was first promulgated by Kant. Sir W. Hamilton.

||Co*na"tus (?), n. [L., fr. conatus, p. p. of conari to attempt.] A natural tendency inherent in a body to develop itself; an attempt; an effort.

What conatus could give prickles to the porcupine or hedgehog, or to the sheep its fleece? Paley.

Con*cam"er*ate (k&obreve;n*kăm"&etilde;r*āt), v. t. [L. concameratus, p. p. of concamerare to arch over. See Camber.] 1. To arch over; to vault.

Of the upper beak an inch and a half consisteth of one concamerated bone. Grew.

2. To divide into chambers or cells. Woodward.

Con*cam`er*a"tion (-ā"shŭn), n. [L. concameratio.] 1. An arch or vault.

2. A chamber of a multilocular shell. Glanvill.

Con*cat"e*nate (k&obreve;n*kăt"&esl;*nāt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Concatenated; p. pr. & vb. n. Concatenating.] [L. concatenatus, p. p. of concatenare to concatenate. See Catenate.] To link together; to unite in a series or chain, as things depending on one another.

This all things friendly will concatenate. Dr. H. More

Con*cat`e*na"tion (-nā"shŭn), n. [L. concatenatio.] A series of links united; a series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together; a chain, a succession.

The stoics affirmed a fatal, unchangeable concatenation of causes, reaching even to the illicit acts of man's will. South.

A concatenation of explosions. W. Irving.

Con*cause" (-k&add;z"), n. A joint cause. Fotherby.