Nearby Words

conversation

[kon-ver-sey-shuhn] Origin

con·ver·sa·tion

[kon-ver-sey-shuhn]
noun
1.
informal interchange of thoughts, information, etc., by spoken words; oral communication between persons; talk; colloquy.
2.
an instance of this.
3.
association or social intercourse; intimate acquaintance.
5.
the ability to talk socially with others: She writes well but has no conversation.
EXPAND
6.
Obsolete.
a.
behavior or manner of living.
b.
close familiarity; intimate acquaintance, as from constant use or study.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English conversacio(u)n < Latin conversātiōn- (stem of conversātiō) society, intercourse, equivalent to conversāt(us) past participle of conversārī to associate with (see converse1) + -iōn- -ion

pre·con·ver·sa·tion, noun


1. dialogue, chat.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To conversation

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Conversation is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
Collins
World English Dictionary
conversation (ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃən)
 
n
1.  the interchange through speech of information, ideas, etc; spoken communication
2.  make conversation to talk in an artificial way
 
Related: colloquial

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

conversation
mid-14c., from O.Fr. conversation, from L. conversationem (nom. conversatio) "act of living with," prp. of conversari "to live with, keep company with," lit. "turn about with," from L. com- intens. prefix + vertare, freq. of vertere (see versus). Originally "having dealings
EXPAND
with others," also "manner of conducting oneself in the world;" specific sense of "talk" is 1580. Used as a synonym for "sexual intercourse" from at least 1511, hence criminal conversation, legal term for adultery from late 18c. Related: Conversational (1779); conversationalist (1836); conversationist (1806).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Easton
Bible Dictionary

Conversation definition


generally the goings out and in of social intercourse (Eph. 2:3; 4:22; R.V., "manner of life"); one's deportment or course of life. This word is never used in Scripture in the sense of verbal communication from one to another (Ps. 50:23; Heb. 13:5). In Phil. 1:27 and 3:20, a different Greek word is used. It there means one's relations to a community as a citizen, i.e., citizenship.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

conversation

In addition to the idiom beginning with conversation, also see make conversation.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature