conceive

conceive
[[t]kənsi͟ːv[/t]]
conceives, conceiving, conceived
1) VERB: usu with brd-neg If you cannot conceive of something, you cannot imagine it or believe it.

[V of n/-ing] I just can't even conceive of that quantity of money...

[V of n/-ing] He was immensely ambitious but unable to conceive of winning power for himself. [Also V that]

2) VERB If you conceive something as a particular thing, you consider it to be that thing.

[V n as n/-ing] The ancients conceived the earth as afloat in water...

[V of n as n/-ing] We conceive of the family as being in a constant state of change...

[V of n as n/-ing] Elvis conceived of himself as a ballad singer.

3) VERB If you conceive a plan or idea, you think of it and work out how it can be done.

[V n] She had conceived the idea of a series of novels, each of which would reveal some aspect of Chinese life...

[V of n] He conceived of the first truly portable computer in 1968.

4) VERB When a woman conceives, she becomes pregnant.

Women, he says, should give up alcohol before they plan to conceive...

About one in six couples has difficulty conceiving...

[V n] A mother who already has non-identical twins is more likely to conceive another set of twins.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Conceive — 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Conceive — Con*ceive , v. i. 1. To have an embryo or fetus formed in the womb; to breed; to become pregnant. [1913 Webster] A virgin shall conceive, and bear a son. Isa. vii. 14. [1913 Webster] 2. To have a conception, idea, or opinion; think; with of.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • conceive — I (comprehend) verb absorb, accept, appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, conceptualize, conjure up, digest, discern, envisage, envision, fathom, figure out, form a conception, grasp, have an idea, ideate, image, imagine, know, perceive, picture,… …   Law dictionary

  • conceive — [v1] understand accept, appreciate, apprehend, assume, believe, catch, compass, comprehend, deem, dig, envisage, expect, fancy, feel, follow, gather, get, grasp, imagine, judge, perceive, realize, reckon, suppose, suspect, take, twig; concept 15… …   New thesaurus

  • conceive of — index apprehend (perceive), construe (comprehend) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • conceive — late 13c., conceiven, take (seed) into the womb, become pregnant, from stem of O.Fr. conceveir (Mod.Fr. concevoir), from L. concipere (pp. conceptus) to take in and hold; become pregnant, from com , intensive prefix (see COM (Cf. com )), + comb.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • conceive — *think, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision Analogous words: *consider, excogitate: speculate, cogitate, *think: *ponder, ruminate, meditate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • conceive — ► VERB 1) become pregnant with (a child). 2) devise in the mind; imagine. ORIGIN Latin concipere, from capere take …   English terms dictionary

  • conceive — [kən sēv′] vt. conceived, conceiving [ME conceiven < OFr conceveir < L concipere (pp. conceptus), to take in, receive < com , together + capere, to take: see HAVE] 1. to become pregnant with; cause to begin life 2. to form or develop in… …   English World dictionary

  • conceive — con|ceive [kənˈsi:v] v [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: conceivre, from Latin concipere to take in, conceive , from com ( COM ) + capere to take ] 1.) [I and T] formal to imagine a particular situation or to think about something in a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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