Com"tism (? or ?), n. [Named after the French philosopher, Auguste Comte.] Positivism; the positive philosophy. See Positivism.
Com"tist (?), n. A disciple of Comte; a positivist.
Con- (&?;). A prefix, fr. L. cum, signifying with, together, etc. See Com- .
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, 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.