Part 544

3. A protection force accompanying ships, etc., on their way from place to place, by sea or land; an escort, for protection or guidance.

When every morn my bosom glowed To watch the convoy on the road. Emerson.

4. Conveyance; means of transportation. [Obs.] Shak.

5. A drag or brake applied to the wheels of a carriage, to check their velocity in going down a hill. Knight.

Con*vulse" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Convulsed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Convulsing.] [L. convulsus, p. p. of convellere to tear up, to shake; con- + vellere to pluck, pull.] 1. To contract violently and irregulary, as the muscular parts of an animal body; to shake with irregular spasms, as in excessive laughter, or in agony from grief or pain.

With emotions which checked his voice and convulsed his powerful frame. Macaulay.

2. To agitate greatly; to shake violently.

The world is convulsed by the agonies of great nations. Macaulay.

Syn. -- To agitate; disturb; shake; tear; rend.

Con*vul"sion (?), n. [L. convulsio: cf. F. convulsion.] 1. (Med.) An unnatural, violent, and unvoluntary contraction of the muscular parts of an animal body.

2. Any violent and irregular motion or agitation; a violent shaking; a tumult; a commotion.

Those two massy pillars, With horrible convulsion, to and fro He tugged, he shook, till down they came. Milton.

Times of violence and convulsion. Ames.

Syn. -- Agitation; commotion; tumult; disturbance.

Con*vul"sion*al (?), a. Pertaining to, or having, convulsions; convulsionary. [R.] Lamb.

Con*vul"sion*a*ry (&?;), a. [Cf. F. convulsionnaire.] Pertaining to convulsion; convulsive. "Convulsionary struggles." Sir W. Scott.

Con*vul"sion*a*ry, n. A convulsionist.

Con*vul"sion*ist, n. One who has convulsions; esp., one of a body of fanatics in France, early in the eighteenth century, who went into convulsions under the influence of religious emotion; as, the Convulsionists of St. MÚdard.

Con*vul"sive (?), a. [Cf. F. convulsif.] Producing, or attended with, convulsions or spasms; characterized by convulsions; convulsionary.

An irregular, convulsive movement may be necessary to throw off an irregular, convulsive disease. Burke.

Con*vul"sive*ly, adv. in a convulsive manner.

Co"ny (? or ?; 277), n. [OE. coning, conig, coni, OF. connin, conin, connil, fr. L. cuniculus a rabbit, cony, prob. an Hispanic word.] [Written also coney.] 1. (Zo÷l.) (a) A rabbit, esp., the European rabbit (Lepus cuniculus). (b) The chief hare.

&fist; The cony of Scripture is thought to be Hyrax Syriacus, called also daman, and cherogril. See Daman.

2. A simpleton. [Obs.]

It is a most simple animal; whence are derived our usual phrases of cony and cony catcher. Diet's Dry Dinner (1599).

3. (Zo÷l.) (a) An important edible West Indian fish (Epinephelus apua); the hind of Bermuda. (b) A local name of the burbot. [Eng.]

Co"ny-catch (?), v. t. To deceive; to cheat; to trick. [Obs.]

Take heed, Signor Baptista, lest you be cony- catched in the this business. Shak.