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construe - 4 dictionary results

con⋅strue

  [v. kuhn-stroo or, especially Brit., kon-stroo; n. kon-stroo] verb, -strued, -stru⋅ing, noun
Use construe in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to give the meaning or intention of; explain; interpret.
2. to deduce by inference or interpretation; infer: He construed her intentions from her gestures.
3. to translate, esp. orally.
4. to analyze the syntax of; to rehearse the applicable grammatical rules of: to construe a sentence.
5. to arrange or combine (words, phrases, etc.) syntactically.
–verb (used without object)
6. to admit of grammatical analysis or interpretation.
–noun
7. the act of construing.
8. something that is construed.
Origin:
1325–75; ME construen < L construere to put together, build, equiv. to con- con- + struere to pile up, arrange, perh. akin to sternere to spread, strew; see stratum

Related forms:
con⋅stru⋅er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To construe
con·strue   (kən-strōō')   
v.   con·strued, con·stru·ing, con·strues

v.   tr.
  1. To adduce or explain the meaning of; interpret: construed my smile as assent. See Synonyms at explain.
  2. Grammar
    1. To analyze the structure of (a clause or sentence).
    2. To use syntactically: The noun fish can be construed as singular or plural.
  3. To translate, especially aloud.
v.   intr.
  1. To analyze grammatical structure.
  2. To be subject to grammatical analysis.
n.   (kŏn'strōō')
An interpretation or translation.

[Middle English construen, from Late Latin cōnstruere, from Latin, to build; see construct.]
con·stru'al n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Construe

Con*strue\ (?; Archaic ?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Construed; p. pr. & vb. n. Construing.] [L. construere: cf. F. construire. See Construct.]

1. To apply the rules of syntax to (a sentence or clause) so as to exhibit the structure, arrangement, or connection of, or to discover the sense; to explain the construction of; to interpret; to translate.

2. To put a construction upon; to explain the sense or intention of; to interpret; to understand.

Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words to free ourselves either from the ignorance or malice of our enemies. --Bp. Stilingfleet.

And to be dull was construed to be good. --Pope.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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construe 
1362, from L.L. construere "to relate grammatically," in classical L. "to pile together;" see construct, which is a later acquisition of the same word.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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