To form or develop in the mind; devise: conceive a plan to increase profits.
To apprehend mentally; understand: couldn't conceive the meaning of that sentence.
To be of the opinion that; think: didn't conceive such a tragedy could occur.
To begin or originate in a specific way: a political movement conceived in the ferment of the 1960s.
v.
intr.
To form or hold an idea: Ancient peoples conceived of the earth as flat.
To become pregnant.
[Middle English conceiven, from Old French concevoir, conceiv-, from Latin concipere : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + capere, to take; see kap- in Indo-European roots.]
con·ceiv'a·bil'i·ty, con·ceiv'a·ble·ness n., con·ceiv'a·ble adj., con·ceiv'a·bly adv., con·ceiv'er n.
c.1280, from stem of O.Fr. conceveir, from L. concipere (pp. conceptus) "to take in and hold," from com- intensive prefix + comb. form of capere "to take," from PIE *kap- "to grasp" (see capable). Originally "take (seed) into the womb, become pregnant," sense of "take into the mind" is from c.1340.
have the idea for; "He conceived of a robot that would help paralyzed patients"; "This library was well conceived" [syn: gestate]
2.
judge or regard; look upon; judge; "I think he is very smart"; "I believe her to be very smart"; "I think that he is her boyfriend"; "The racist conceives such people to be inferior" [syn: think]
3.
become pregnant; undergo conception; "She cannot conceive"; "My daughter was conceived in Christmas Day"
Con*ceit"\, n. [Through French, fr. L. conceptus a conceiving, conception, fr. concipere to conceive: cf. OF. p. p. nom. conciez conceived. See Conceive, and cf. Concept, Deceit.]1. That which is conceived, imagined, or formed in the mind; idea; thought; image; conception. In laughing, there ever procedeth a conceit of somewhat ridiculous. --Bacon. A man wise in his own conceit. --Prov. xxvi. 12. 2. Faculty of conceiving ideas; mental faculty; apprehension; as, a man of quick conceit. [Obs.] How often, alas! did her eyes say unto me that they loved! and yet I, not looking for such a matter, had not my conceit open to understand them. --Sir P. Sidney. 3. Quickness of apprehension; active imagination; lively fancy. His wit's as thick as Tewksbury mustard; there's more conceit in him than is in a mallet. --Shak. 4. A fanciful, odd, or extravagant notion; a quant fancy; an unnatural or affected conception; a witty thought or turn of expression; a fanciful device; a whim; a quip. On his way to the gibbet, a freak took him in the head to go off with a conceit. --L'Estrange. Some to conceit alone their works confine, And glittering thoughts struck out at every line. --Pope. Tasso is full of conceits . . . which are not only below the dignity of heroic verse but contrary to its nature. --Dryden. 5. An overweening idea of one's self; vanity. Plumed with conceit he calls aloud. --Cotton. 6. Design; pattern. [Obs.] --Shak. In conceit with, in accord with; agreeing or conforming. Out of conceit with, not having a favorable opinion of; not pleased with; as, a man is out of conceit with his dress. To put [one] out of conceit with, to make one indifferent to a thing, or in a degree displeased with it.
Con*ceive"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Conceived; p. pr. & vb. n. Conceiving.] [OF. conzoivre, concever, conceveir, F. concevoir, fr. L. oncipere to take, to conceive; con- + capere to seize or take. See Capable, and cf. Conception.]1. To receive into the womb and begin to breed; to begin the formation of the embryo of. She hath also conceived a son in her old age. --Luke i. 36. 2. To form in the mind; to plan; to devise; to generate; to originate; as, to conceive a purpose, plan, hope. It was among the ruins of the Capitol that I first conceived the idea of a work which has amused and exercised near twenty years of my life. --Gibbon. Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. --Is. lix. 13. 3. To apprehend by reason or imagination; to take into the mind; to know; to imagine; to comprehend; to understand. "I conceive you." --Hawthorne. O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee! --Shak. You will hardly conceive him to have been bred in the same climate. --Swift. Syn: To apprehend; imagine; suppose; understand; comprehend; believe; think.
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