Any sort of connection which is perceived or imagined between two or more things.
I. Taylor.
3. A relation; esp. a person connected with another by marriage rather than by blood; -- used in a loose and indefinite, and sometimes a comprehensive, sense.
4. The persons or things that are connected; as, a business connection; the Methodist connection.
Men elevated by powerful connection.
Motley.
At the head of a strong parliamentary connection.
Macaulay.
Whose names, forces, connections, and characters were perfectly known to him.
Macaulay.
In this connection, in connection with this subject. [A phrase objected to by some writers.]
&fist; This word was formerly written, as by Milton, with x instead of t in the termination, connexion, and the same thing is true of the kindred words inflexion, reflexion, and the like. But the general usage at present is to spell them connection, inflection, reflection, etc.
Syn. -- Union; coherence; continuity; junction; association; dependence; intercourse; commerce; communication; affinity; relationship.
Con*nect"ive (?), a. Connecting, or adapted to connect; involving connection.
Connection tissue (Anat.) See Conjunctive tissue, under Conjunctive.
Con*nect"ive, n. That which connects. Specifically: (a) (Gram.) A word that connect words or sentences; a conjunction or preposition. (b) (Bot.) That part of an anther which connects its thecŠ, lobes, or cells.
Con*nect"ive*ly, adv. In connjunction; jointly.
Con*nect"or (?), n. One who, or that which, connects; as: (a) A flexible tube for connecting the ends of glass tubes in pneumatic experiments. (b) A device for holding two parts of an electrical conductor in contact.
Con"ner (?), n. [Cf. Cunner.] (Zo÷l.) A marine European fish (Crenilabrus melops); also, the related American cunner. See Cunner.
Con*nex" (?), v. t. [L. connexus, p. p. See Connect.] To connect. Sir M. Hale.
Con*nex"ion (?), n. [L. connexio: cf. F. connexion.] Connection. See Connection.
Con*nex"ive (?), a. See Connective.
Con"ning tow"er (?), n. The shot-proof pilot house of a war vessel.
Con*niv"ance (?), n. [Cf. F. connivence, L. conniventia.] 1. Intentional failure or forbearance to discover a fault or wrongdoing; voluntary oversight; passive consent or co÷peration.
2. (Law) Corrupt or guilty assent to wrongdoing, not involving actual participation in, but knowledge of, and failure to prevent or oppose it.
Syn. -- See Collusion.
Con*nive" (k&obreve;n*nīv"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Connived (- nīvd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Conniving.] [L. connivere to shut the eyes, connive, fr. con- + (perh.) a word akin to nicere to beckon, nictare to wink.] 1. To open and close the eyes rapidly; to wink. [Obs.]
The artist is to teach them how to nod judiciously, and to connive with either eye.
Spectator.
2. To close the eyes upon a fault; to wink (at); to fail or forbear by intention to discover an act; to permit a proceeding, as if not aware of it; -- usually followed by at.
To connive at what it does not approve.
Jer. Taylor.
In many of these, the directors were heartily concurring; in most of them, they were encouraging, and sometimes commanding; in all they were conniving.
Burke.
The government thought it expedient, occasionally, to connive at the violation of this rule.
Macaulay.
Con*nive", v. t. To shut the eyes to; to overlook; to pretend not to see. [R. & Obs.] "Divorces were not connived only, but with eye open allowed." Milton.