Conning

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Con \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.]
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              Of muses, Hobbinol, I con no skill.   --Spenser.
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              They say they con to heaven the highway. --Spenser.
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     2. To study in order to know; to peruse; to learn; to commit
        to memory; to regard studiously.
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              Fixedly did look
              Upon the muddy waters which he conned
              As if he had been reading in a book.  --Wordsworth.
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              I did not come into Parliament to con my lesson.
                                                    --Burke.
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     {To con answer}, to be able to answer. [Obs.]
  
     {To con thanks}, to thank; to acknowledge obligation. [Obs.]
        --Shak.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  conning
       See {con}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  con
       n 1: an argument opposed to a proposal [ant: {pro}]
       2: a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison [syn: {convict},
           {inmate}, {jailbird}, {gaolbird}]
       3: a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a
          person to buy worthless property [syn: {bunco}, {bunco
          game}, {bunko}, {bunko game}, {confidence trick}, {confidence
          game}, {con game}, {gyp}, {hustle}, {sting}, {flimflam}]
       adv : on the negative side; "much was written pro and con" [syn: {in
             opposition}] [ant: {pro}]
       v 1: deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my
            inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted
            her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little
            change" [syn: {victimize}, {swindle}, {rook}, {goldbrick},
             {nobble}, {diddle}, {bunco}, {defraud}, {scam}, {mulct},
             {gyp}]
       2: commit to memory; learn by heart; "Have you memorized your
          lines for the play yet?" [syn: {memorize}, {memorise}, {learn}]
       [also: {conning}, {conned}]