conn

Alternative forms

• con

Etymology

Variant of cond, from Middle English conduen, condien, from French conduire, from Latin conducere, present active infinitive of condūcō (“lead, bring or draw together”), from con- (“with, together”) +‎ duco (“lead”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɑn/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɒn/
• Homophone: con
• Rhymes: -ɒn

Noun

conn (plural conns)

1. The duty of directing a ship, usually used with the verb to have or to take and accompanied by the article "the."

   The officer of the deck has the conn of the vessel; the captain took the conn when she reached the bridge.

Verb

conn (third-person singular simple present conns, present participle conning, simple past and past participle conned)

1. (transitive) To direct a ship; to superintend the steering of (a vessel); to watch the course of (a vessel) and direct the helmsman how to steer (especially through a channel, etc, rather than steer a compass direction).

   The pilot conned the ship safely into the harbor.

   • 1724, Daniel Defoe, Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress, chapter 8

     “Ay,” says I, “you’ll allow me to steer, that is, hold the helm, but you’ll conn the ship, as they call it; that is, as at sea, a boy serves to stand at the helm, but he that gives him the orders is pilot.”