con

See also Appendix:Variations of "con"

English

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /kan/
• (UK) IPA: /kɒn/
• Rhymes: -ɒn

Etymology 1

From Middle English connen, from Old English cunnan (“to know, know how”). More at can.

Verb

con (third-person singular simple present cons, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)

1. (rare) To study, especially in order to gain knowledge of.
   • 1963, D'Arcy Niland, Dadda jumped over two elephants: short stories:

     The hawk rested on a crag of the gorge and conned the terrain with a fierce and frowning eye.

2. (rare, archaic) To know, understand, acknowledge.

   Of muses, Hobbinol, I con no skill. — Edmund Spenser

Related terms

• ken
• unconned

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of Latin contra (“against”).

Noun

con (plural cons)

1. A disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted with its advantages (pros).

   pros and cons

Synonyms

• disadvantage

Antonyms

• pro

Related terms

• pros and cons
• con- (prefix)

Translations

disadvantage of something

Czech: proti (cs) n., zápor (cs) m. Dutch: nadeel (nl), voor- en nadelen (nl) Finnish: haitta (fi), haittapuoli (fi) French: inconvénient (fr) m., inconvénients (fr) m. pl., contre (fr) m. German: Kontra (de) n.

Greek: μειονέκτημα (el) n., μείον (el) n., πλην (el) n. Hungarian: kontra (hu) Italian: contro (it) n. Russian: недостаток m., довод против m.

Etymology 3

Shortened from convict.

Noun

con (plural cons)

1. (slang) A convicted criminal, a convict.

Translations

a convicted criminal, a convict

Dutch: een veroordeelde crimineel (nl), een veroordeelde (nl) Finnish: vanki (fi), rangaistusvanki (fi) Greek: κατάδικος (el) m.

Italian: carcerato (it) Russian: преступник (ru) m.

Etymology 4

From con trick, shortened from confidence trick.

Noun

con (plural cons)

1. (slang) A fraud; something carried out with the intention of deceiving, usually for personal, often illegal, gain.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:deception

Translations

a fraud

Dutch: fraude (nl), fraudeur (nl) Finnish: huijaus (fi), petos (fi) French: duper (fr), escroquer (fr)

Greek: απάτη (el) f., απατεωνιά (el) f. Russian: жульничество (ru) n.

Verb

con (third-person singular simple present cons, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)

1. (transitive, slang) To trick or defraud, usually for personal gain.

Synonyms

• (to be conned): be sold a pup (idiomatic, British, Australian)

Translations

to trick or defraud, usually for personal gain

Dutch: bedriegen (nl) Finnish: huijata (fi), vedättää (fi) French: duper (fr), escroquer (fr)

German: betrügen (de), austricksen (de), reinlegen (de) Greek: ξεγελώ (el) Spanish: engañar (es), estafar (es), timar (es)

Related terms

terms derived from "con" (swindle)

con artist con game

con man con trick

Etymology 5

From earlier cond, from Middle English conduen, from Old French conduire, from Latin condūcere, present active infinitive of condūcō (“draw together; conduct”).

Verb

con (third-person singular simple present cons, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)

1. (nautical) To give the necessary orders to the helmsman to steer a ship in the required direction through a channel etc. (rather than steer a compass direction)

Translations

to give the necessary orders to the helmsman to steer a ship in the required direction

Finnish: ohjata laivaa (fi)

Noun

con (uncountable)

1. (nautical) The navigational direction of a ship

Derived terms

terms derived from "con" (navigation)

conning tower

take the con

Etymology 6

From Latin combining form con-, from cum (“with, together”).

Noun

con (plural cons)

1. Short for convention or conference; used in regard to science fiction conventions and other types of conventions.

See also

• cone
• mod cons

Anagrams

• NCO, NOC

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Asturian

Etymology

From Latin cum, "with".

Preposition

con

1. with

Derived terms

col cola coles

colo colos

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Catalan

Wikipedia ^ca

Etymology

From Latin conus.

Noun

con m. (plural cons)

1. cone

Related terms

• cònic

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Dalmatian

Etymology

From Latin cunnus.

Noun

con m.

1. (vulgar) vulva, cunt

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French

Etymology

From Latin cunnus.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /kɔ̃/

Noun

con m. (plural cons)

1. (taboo slang) cunt
2. (derogatory slang) A stupid person; arsehole (British)

See also

• connard
• connasse
• connerie

Anagrams

• onc

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Galician

Etymology

From Latin cum, "with".

Preposition

con

1. with

Antonyms

• sen

Derived terms

• coa, coas
• co, cos
• cun, cuns
• cunha, cunhas

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Italian

Etymology

From Latin cum, ("with").

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kon/, SAMPA: /kon/

Preposition

con

1. with or together
2. (rowing) coxed

Antonyms

• senza

Derived terms

• col con + il
• collo con + lo
• coll' con + l'
• coi con + i
• cogli con + gli
• colla con + la
• colle con + le

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Old French

Etymology 1

From Latin cunnus

Noun

con m. (oblique plural cons, nominative singular cons, nominative plural con)

1. (vulgar) cunt (human female genitalia)

Etymology 2

see conme

Conjunction

con

1. Alternative form of conme.

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin cum (“with”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /kon/, SAMPA: /kon/

Preposition

con

1. with

Antonyms

• sin

See also

• conmigo
• contigo

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Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• IPA: /k̬ɑ̄n/, SAMPA: /kQn/, SAMPROSA: /-[kQn]/

Noun

con

1. child

Synonyms

• tử

Pronoun

con

1. you (addressed to a person younger than the speaker, especially a child)

Classifier

con

1. usually indicates animate noun

Usage notes

Exceptions exist, such as con dao (“knife”).

Antonyms

• cái