Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CON-STRUC'TION-AL, a.

Pertaining to construction; deducted from construction or interpretation. [Unusual.] – Waterland.

CON-STRUC'TION-IST, n.

One who construes a writing or public instrument.

CON-STRUC'TIVE, a.

By construction; created or deduced by construction, or mode of interpretation; not directly expressed, but inferred; as, constructive treason. – Blackstone. Stipulations, expressed or implied, formal or constructive. – Paley.

CON-STRUC'TIVE-LY, adv.

In a constructive manner; by way of construction or interpretation; by fair inference. Chauncey. United States. A neutral must have notice of a blockade, either actually by a formal information, or constructively by notice to his Government. – Kent.

CON-STRUC'TURE, n.

An edifice; pile; fabric. [For this, structure is more generally used.] – Blackmore.

CON'STRUE, v.t. [L. construo. See Construct.]

1. To arrange words in their natural order; to reduce from a transposed to a natural order, so as to discover the sense of a sentence: hence, to interpret; and when applied to a foreign language, to translate; to render into English; as, to construe Greek, Latin or French.
2. To interpret; to explain; to show or to understand the meaning. I pray that I may not be so understood or construed. – Hooker. Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words. – Stillingfleet.

CON'STRU-ED, pp.

Arranged in natural order; interpreted; understood; translated.

CON'STRU-ING, ppr.

Arranging in natural order; expounding; interpreting; translating.

CON'STU-PRATE, v.t. [L. constupro; con and stupro, to ravish.]

To violate; to debauch; to defile.

CON'STU-PRA-TED, pp.

Debauched.

CON'STU-PRA-TING, ppr.

Violating.

CON-STU-PRA'TION, n.

The act of ravishing; violation; defilement. – Bp. Hall.

CON-SUB-SIST', v.i.

To subsist together. [See Subsist.]

CON-SUB-STAN'TIAL, a. [L. consubstantialis; con and substantia. See Substance.]

1. Having the same substance or essence; co-essential. The orthodox believe the Son to be consubstantial with Father. – Encyc.
2. Of the same kind or nature. It continueth a body consubstantial with ours. – Hooker.

CON-SUB-STAN'TIAL-IST, n.

One who believes in consubstantiation. – Barrow.

CON-SUB-STAN-TIAL'I-TY, n.

1. The existence of more than one in the same substance; as, the co-eternity and consubstantiality of the Son with the Father. – Hammond.
2. Participation of the same nature. – Johnson.

CON-SUB-STAN'TIATE, v.i.

To profess consubstantiation. – Dryden.

CON-SUB-STAN'TIATE, v.t. [L. con and substantia, substance.]

To unite in one common substance or nature. – Johnson.

CON-SUB-STAN'TIA-TED, pp.

United in a common substance.

CON-SUB-STAN'TIA-TING, ppr.

Uniting in a common substance.

CON-SUB-STAN-TIA'TION, n.

The union of the body of our blessed Savior with the sacramental elements. The Lutherans maintain that after consecration of the elements, the body and blood of Christ are substantially present with the substance of the bread and wine, which is called consubstantiation or impanation. – Encyc.

CON'SU-E-TUDE, n.

Custom; usage. – Scott.

CON'SUL, n. [L. consul, from consulo, to consult.]

1. The chief magistrate of the ancient Roman republic, invested with regal authority for one year. There were two consuls annually chosen in the Campus Martius. In the first ages of Rome, they were elected from patrician families or noblemen; but in the year of Rome 388, the people obtained the privilege of electing one of the consuls from their own body, and sometimes both were plebeians. – Encyc.
2. In modern usage, the name consul is given to a person commissioned by a king or state to reside in a foreign country as an agent or representative, to protect the rights, commerce, merchants and seamen of the state, and to aid the government in any commercial transactions with such foreign country.
3. An adviser. [Not well authorized.] – Bacon.

CON'SUL-AGE, n.

A duty laid by the British Levant Company on imports and exports for the support of the Company's affairs. – Eton.

CON'SUL-AR, a.

Pertaining to a consul; as, consular power; consular dignity, or privileges.