In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
CON
con
(adverb) in opposition to a proposition, opinion, etc.; “much was written pro and con”
bunco, bunco game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick, confidence game, con game, hustle, sting, flimflam
(noun) a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
con
(noun) an argument opposed to a proposal
convict, con, inmate, yard bird, yardbird
(noun) a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
memorize, memorise, con, learn
(verb) commit to memory; learn by heart; “Have you memorized your lines for the play yet?”
victimize, swindle, rook, goldbrick, nobble, diddle, bunco, defraud, scam, mulct, hornswoggle, short-change, con
(verb) deprive of by deceit; “He swindled me out of my inheritance”; “She defrauded the customers who trusted her”;
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Verb
con (third-person singular simple present cons, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)
(rare) To study or examine carefully, especially in order to gain knowledge of; to learn, or learn by heart.
(rare, obsolete) To know, understand, acknowledge.
Etymology 2
Noun
con (plural cons)
A disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted with its advantages (pros).
(abbreviation) conservative
Synonyms
• disadvantage
Antonyms
• pro
Etymology 3
Noun
con (plural cons)
(slang) A convicted criminal, a convict.
Etymology 4
Noun
con (plural cons)
(slang) A fraud; something carried out with the intention of deceiving, usually for personal, often illegal, gain.
Synonyms
• See also deception
Verb
con (third-person singular simple present cons, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)
(transitive, slang) To trick or defraud, usually for personal gain.
Synonyms
• (to be conned): be sold a pup (idiomatic, British, Australian)
Etymology 5
Verb
con (third-person singular simple present cons, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)
Alternative form of conn (“direct a ship”)
Noun
con (uncountable)
Alternative form of conn (“navigational direction of a ship”)
Etymology 6
Noun
con (plural cons)
(informal) An organized gathering such as a convention, conference or congress.
Etymology 7
Noun
con (plural cons)
(informal) The conversion of part of a building.
Etymology 8
Noun
con (uncountable)
(informal, obsolete) Consumption; pulmonary tuberculosis.
Anagrams
• CNO, NCO, NOC, OCN, ONC, onc
Proper noun
Con
A male given name, a diminutive form of Conor or Cornelius.
Short for Connie. (female given name)
(UK politics) Abbreviation of Conservative.
Anagrams
• CNO, NCO, NOC, OCN, ONC, onc
Noun
CON (plural CONs)
Initialism of Certificate of Need.
Anagrams
• CNO, NCO, NOC, OCN, ONC, onc
Source: Wiktionary
Con
Definition: - (cum, signifying with, together, etc. See Com-.
Con
Definition: - (cum, signifying with, together, etc. See Com-.
Con, adv. Etym: [Abbrev. from L. contra against.]
Definition: 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.] Etym: [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. Wodsworth. 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. Etym: [See Cond.] (Naut.)
Definition: To conduct, or superintend the steering of (a vessel); to watch the course of (a vessel) and direct the helmsman how to steer.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
27 January 2025
FISSILE
(adjective) capable of being split or cleft or divided in the direction of the grain; “fissile crystals”; “fissile wood”
Coffee Trivia
