con
UK /kɒn/ · US /kɑn/ verb, noun, proper noun
Also a form of conn
Forms cons conning conned conne conn
- verb (rare) To study or examine carefully, especially in order to gain knowledge of; to learn, or learn by heart.
- verb (rare, obsolete) To know; understand; acknowledge.
- noun A disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted with its advantages (pros). “pros and cons”
- noun (slang) A convicted criminal, a convict.
- noun (informal) A fraud; something carried out with the intention of deceiving, usually for personal, often illegal, gain.
- verb (transitive, informal) To trick, lie or defraud, usually for personal gain.
- noun (informal) An organized gathering, such as a convention, conference, or congress.
- noun (informal) The conversion of part of a building. “We're getting a loft con done next year.”
- noun (informal, obsolete) Consumption; pulmonary tuberculosis.
- noun (dialectal or obsolete) Squirrel, particularly the red squirrel.
- noun (Northern England, obsolete) A squirrel's nest.
- noun (abbreviation) A political conservative. “own the cons”
- proper noun A male given name, a diminutive form of Conor, Conrad or Cornelius.
- proper noun A female given name, a diminutive form of Connie.
Synonyms
disadvantage scam deception imposition hype deceit dupery fiddle fetch hocus-pocus jugglery legerdemain list mislead prestidigitation Punic faith rinky-dink ruse sleight of hand subterfuge convict inmate yard bird yardbird bunco bunco game bunko bunko game confidence trick confidence game
Antonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English connen, inherited from Old English cunnan (“to know, know how”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan (“recognize, know how”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną (“to know, know how”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”) Doublet of can.
Abbreviation of Latin contrā (“against”).
Clipping of convict.
From con trick, shortened from confidence trick.
Webster’s 1913
- adverb Against the affirmative side; in opposition; on the negative side; -- The antithesis of pro, and usually in connection with it. See Pro.
- verb To know; to understand; to acknowledge. [Obs.]
- verb To study in order to know; to peruse; to learn; to commit to memory; to regard studiously.
- verb To conduct, or superintend the steering of (a vessel); to watch the course of (a vessel) and direct the helmsman how to steer.
Etymology [Abbrev. from L. contra against.]
Etymology [AS. cunnan to know, be able, and (derived from this) cunnian to try, test. See Can, v. t. & i.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “con”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details