Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CON'FER-ENCE, n. [Fr. conference; Sp. conferencia; It. conferenza. See Confer.]

1. The act of conversing on a serious subject; a discoursing between two or more, for the purpose of instruction, consultation, or deliberation; formal discourse; oral discussion; as, the ministers had a conference at Ratisbon. For they who seemed to be somewhat, in conference added nothing to me. Gal. ii.
2. A meeting for consultation, discussion or instruction.
3. Comparison; examination of things by comparison. The mutual conference of observations. The conference of different passages of scripture. – Hooker. [This sense is, I believe, now obsolete.]