conversation
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From Old French conversation, from Latin conversātiōnem, accusative singular of conversātiō (“conversation”), from conversor (“abide, keep company with”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
conversation (plural conversations)
- (obsolete) Interaction; commerce or intercourse with other people; dealing with others. [14th-18th c.]
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts XI:
- Yt chaunsed thatt a whole yere they had their conversacion with the congregacion there, and taught moche people insomoche thatt the disciples off Antioche we the fyrst that wer called Christen.
- 1526, William Tyndale, trans. Bible, Acts XI:
- (archaic) Behaviour, the way one conducts oneself; a person's way of life. [from 14th c.]
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York Review of Books, 2001, p. 50:
- There are many that take no heed what happeneth to others by bad conversation , and therefore overthrow themselves in the same manner through their own fault, not foreseeing dangers manifest.
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, New York Review of Books, 2001, p. 50:
- (obsolete) Sexual intercourse. [16th-19th c.]
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 333:
- The landlady therefore would by no means have admitted any conversation of a disreputable kind to pass under her roof.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 333:
- Expression and exchange of individual ideas through talking with other people; also, a set instance or occasion of such talking. [from 16th c.]
- I had an interesting conversation with Nicolas yesterday about how much he's getting paid.
- (fencing) The back-and-forth play of the blades in a bout.
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Usage notes
- To make conversation means to start a conversation with someone with no other aim than to talk and break the silence.
- To have a conversation, and to hold a conversation, both mean to converse.
- See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take
[edit] Translations
talking
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fencing term
[edit] Verb
conversation (third-person singular simple present conversations, present participle conversationing, simple past and past participle conversationed)
- (nonstandard, ambitransitive) To engage in conversation (with).
- 1983, James Frederick Mason, Hélène Joséphine Harvitt, The French review
- Gone now are the "high-minded" style, the "adapted from literature" feel, the voice-over narration, and the abstract conversationing about ideas, values...
- 1989, Robert L Gale, A Henry James encyclopedia
- ...he has breakfasted me, dined me, conversationed me, absolutely caressed me. He has been really most kind and paternal...
- 2002, Georgie Nickell, I Only Smoke on Thursdays
- After all this conversationing, Scottie, my usual dance partner, was getting antsy and wanted to dance.
- 1983, James Frederick Mason, Hélène Joséphine Harvitt, The French review
[edit] Statistics
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Most common English words before 1923: officers · likely · beneath · #834: conversation · music · direction · o'
[edit] Anagrams
[edit] French
[edit] Etymology
Borrowed from Latin conversātiō (“conversation”).
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /kɔ̃.vɛʁ.sa.sjɔ̃/, X-SAMPA: /ko~.vER.sa.sjo~/
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Audio (France, Paris) (file) - Homophone: conversations
- Hyphenation: con‧ver‧sa‧tion
[edit] Noun
conversation f. (plural conversations)
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Hypernyms
[edit] Hyponyms
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Anagrams
Categories:
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English nouns
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English archaic terms
- en:Fencing
- English verbs
- English nonstandard terms
- en:Talking
- French terms derived from Latin
- French terms with homophones
- French nouns
- French feminine nouns
- French countable nouns
