Part 536

The influence exercised by his [Johnson's] conversation was altogether without a parallel. Macaulay.

5. Sexual intercourse; as, criminal conversation.

Syn. -- Intercourse; communion; commerce; familiarity; discourse; dialogue; colloquy; talk; chat. -- Conversation, Talk. There is a looser sense of these words, in which they are synonymous; there is a stricter sense, in which they differ. Talk is usually broken, familiar, and versatile. Conversation is more continuous and sustained, and turns ordinarily upon topics or higher interest. Children talk to their parents or to their companions; men converse together in mixed assemblies. Dr. Johnson once remarked, of an evening spent in society, that there had been a great deal of talk, but no conversation.

Con`ver*sa"tion*al (k&obreve;n`v&etilde;r*sā"shŭn*al), a. Pertaining to conversation; in the manner of one conversing; as, a conversational style. Thackeray.

Con`ver*sa"tion*al*ist, n. A conversationist.

Conver*sa"tioned (-shŭnd), a. Acquainted with manners and deportment; behaved. [Obs.]

Till she be better conversationed, . . . I'll keep As far from her as the gallows. Beau. & Fl.

Con`ver*sa"tion*ism (-&ibreve;z'm), n. A word or phrase used in conversation; a colloquialism.

Con`ver*sa"tion*ist, n. One who converses much, or who excels in conversation. Byron.

Con*ver"sa*tive (k&obreve;n*v&etilde;r"s&adot;*t&ibreve;v), a. Relating to intercourse with men; social; -- opposed to contemplative.

She chose . . . to endue him with the conversative qualities of youth. Sir H. Wotton.

||Con`ver*sa`zi*o"ne (? or ?), n.; pl. Conversazioni (#). [It. See Conversation.] A meeting or assembly for conversation, particularly on literary or scientific subjects. Gray.

These conversazioni [at Florence] resemble our card assemblies. A. Drummond.

Con*verse" (k&obreve;n*v&etilde;rs"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Conversed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Conversing.] [F. converser, L. conversari to associate with; con- + versari to be turned, to live, remain, fr. versare to turn often, v. intens. of vertere to turn See Convert.] 1. To keep company; to hold intimate intercourse; to commune; -- followed by with.

To seek the distant hills, and there converse With nature. Thomson.

Conversing with the world, we use the world's fashions. Sir W. Scott.

But to converse with heaven - This is not easy. Wordsworth.

2. To engage in familiar colloquy; to interchange thoughts and opinions in a free, informal manner; to chat; -- followed by with before a person; by on, about, concerning, etc., before a thing.

Companions That do converse and waste the time together. Shak.

We had conversed so often on that subject. Dryden.

3. To have knowledge of, from long intercourse or study; -- said of things.

According as the objects they converse with afford greater or less variety. Locke.

Syn. -- To associate; commune; discourse; talk; chat.

Con"verse (?), n. 1. Frequent intercourse; familiar communion; intimate association. Glanvill.

"T is but to hold Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled. Byron.

2. Familiar discourse; free interchange of thoughts or views; conversation; chat.

Formed by thy converse happily to steer From grave to gay, from lively to severe. Pope.

Con"verse, a. [L. conversus, p. p. of convertere. See Convert.] Turned about; reversed in order or relation; reciprocal; as, a converse proposition.