Conjure
CONJURE, v.t. [L., to swear together, to conspire.] 1. To call on or summon by a sacred name, or in a solemn manner; to implore with solemnity. It seems originally to have signified, to bind by an oath. I conjure you! Let him know, whateer was done against him, Cato did it. 2. To bind two or more by an oath; to unite in a common design. Hence intransitively, to conspire. [Not usual.] CONJURE, v.t. To expel, to drive or to affect, in some manner, by magic arts, as by invoking the Supreme Being, or by the use of certain words, characters or ceremonies to engage supernatural influence; as, to conjure up evil spirits, or to conjure down a tempest; to conjure the stars. Note. It is not easy to define this word, nor any word of like import; as the practices of conjurors are little known, or various and indefinite. The use of this word indicates that an oath or solemn invocation originally formed a part of the ceremonies. CONJURE, v.i. 1. To practice the arts of a conjurer; to use arts to engage the aid of spirits in performing some extraordinary act. 2. In a vulgar sense, to behave very strangely; to act like a witch; to play tricks.
| NEW: Google Full-Text Search of Webster's 1828 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|