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con

Pronunciation: /kɒn/

The English word “con” has 12 meanings listed here.

verb

  1. To study or examine carefully, especially in order to gain knowledge of; to learn, or learn by heart.
  2. To know; understand; acknowledge.
  3. To trick, lie or defraud, usually for personal gain.

noun

  1. A disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted with its advantages (pros).
  2. A convicted criminal, a convict.
  3. A fraud; something carried out with the intention of deceiving, usually for personal, often illegal, gain.
  4. An organized gathering, such as a convention, conference, or congress.
  5. The conversion of part of a building.
  6. Consumption; pulmonary tuberculosis.
  7. Squirrel, particularly the red squirrel.
  8. A squirrel's nest.
  9. A political conservative.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English connen, inherited from Old English cunnan (“to know, know how”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan (“recognize, know how”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną (“to know, know how”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (“to know”) Doublet of can.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.