- congee (n.)
- early 14c., from Old French congié "permission, leave of absence, dismissal, ceremonial leave-taking" (Modern French congé), from Latin commeatus "passage, going to and fro," hence "leave of absence," from commeare, from com- "with, together" (see com-) + meare "to go, pass" (see mutable). Probably lost 17c. and revived 19c. from Modern French.
- congener (n.)
- 1730s, from French congénère (16c.), from Latin congener "of the same race or kind," from com- "together" (see com-) + gener-, stem of genus "kind" (see genus).
- congenial (adj.)
- 1620s, "kindred, sympathetic," from Latin com- "together" (see com-) + genialis "of birth," thus, "kindred" (see genus). Sense of "agreeable" is first recorded 1711. Related: Congeniality.
- congenital (adj.)
- "existing from birth," 1796, from Latin congenitus, from com- "together, with" (see com-) + genitus, past participle of gignere "to beget" (see genus). The sense formerly belonged to congenial. Related: Congenitally.
- conger (n.)
- c.1300, from Latin conger "sea-eel," from Greek gongros "conger," probably from PIE root *geng-, *gong- "a lump, rounded object."
- congeries (n.)
- 1610s, from Latin congeries "heap, pile, collected mass," from congerere "to carry together" (see congest). False singular congery is from 1866.
Man should have some sense of responsibility to the human congeries. As a matter of observation, very few men have any such sense. No social order can exist very long unless a few, at least a few, men have such a sense. [Ezra Pound, "ABC of Economics," 1933]
- congest (v.)
- early 15c., "to bring together" (transitive), from Latin congestus, past participle of congerere "to bring together, pile up," from com- "together" (see com-) + gerere "to carry, perform" (see gest). Medical sense of "unnatural accumulation" (1758) led to transferred (intransitive) sense of "overcrowd" (1859). Related: Congested; congesting.
- congested (adj.)
- 1570s, "heaped up," past participle adjective from congest. Meaning "overcrowded" is recorded from 1862.
- congestion (n.)
- early 15c., "action of gathering together," from Middle French congestion (14c.), from Latin congestionem (nominative congestio), noun of action from past participle stem of congerere (see congest). Medical sense is from 1630s; meaning "a crowding together of people, traffic, etc." is from 1883.
- congestive (adj.)
- 1846, from congest + -ive. Congestive heart failure is recorded from 1928.
- conglomerate (adj.)
- 1570s, from Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare "to roll together," from com- "together" (see com-) + glomerare "to gather into a ball," from glomus (genitive glomeris) "a ball," from PIE root *glem-.
- conglomerate (n.)
- "large business group," 1967, from conglomerate (adj.).
- conglomerate (v.)
- 1590s, from Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare (see conglomerate (adj.)). Related: Conglomerated; conglomerating.
- conglomeration (n.)
- 1620s, from Latin conglomerationem (nominative conglomeratio), noun of action from past participle stem of conglomerare (see conglomerate (adj.)).
- Congo
- African nation, named for the river that runs through it, which is from a Bantu word meaning "mountains" (i.e., the river that flows from the mountains). As an adjective, Congoese is native English (1797) but has been supplanted by Congolese (1900), from French Congolais.
- congrats (n.)
- 1884, colloquial shortening of congratulations. Further colloquialized in British English to congratters (1906) and among online gamers to grats (by 2000).
- congratulate (v.)
- 1540s, from Latin congratulatus, past participle of congratulari "to congratulate" (see congratulation). Related: Congratulated; congratulating.
- congratulation (n.)
- mid-15c., from Latin congratulationem (nominative congratulatio), noun of action from past participle stem of congratulari "wish joy," from com- "together, with" (see com-) + gratulari "give thanks, show joy," from gratus "agreeable" (see grace (n.)).
- congratulations
- 1630s, an exclamation conveying a sentiment of congratulation, from congratulation (q.v.).
- congratulatory (adj.)
- 1520s; see congratulate + -ory.
- congregate (v.)
- mid-15c., from Latin congregatus "flocking together," past participle of congregare "to herd together, collect in a flock, swarm; assemble," from com- "together" (see com-) + gregare "to collect into a flock, gather," from grex (genitive gregis) "a flock" (see gregarious). Related: Congregated; congregating.
- congregation (n.)
- mid-14c., "a gathering, assembly," from Old French congregacion (12c., Modern French congrégation), from Latin congregationem (nominative congregatio), noun of action from congregare (see congregate).
Used by Tyndale to translate Greek ekklesia in New Testament and by some Old Testament translators in place of synagoge. (Vulgate uses a variety of words in these cases, including congregatio but also ecclesia, vulgus, synagoga, populus.) Protestant reformers in 16c. used it in place of church; hence the word's main modern sense of "local society of believers" (1520s). - congregational (adj.)
- 1630s, in reference to Congregationalism, a Protestant movement in which church congregations were to be self-governing (the term most used in New England, in Britain they were called Independent); from congregation + -al (1). Related: Congregationalist.
- congress (n.)
- c.1400, "body of attendants; also "meeting of armed forces" (mid-15c.); main modern sense of "coming together of people, a meeting" is from 1520s; from Latin congressus "a friendly meeting; a hostile encounter," past participle of congredi "meet with, fight with," from com- "together" (see com-) + gradi "to walk," from gradus "a step" (see grade (n.)).
Sense of "meeting of delegates" is first recorded 1670s. Meaning "sexual union" is from 1580s. Used in reference to the national legislative body of the American states since 1775 (though since 1765 in America as a name for proposed bodies). Congress of Vienna met Nov. 1, 1814, to June 8, 1815, and redrew the map of Europe with an eye to creating a balance of powers after the disruptions of Napoleon. - congressional (adj.)
- 1690s, from Latin congressionem (from congressus, see congress) + -al (1). Originally sometimes reviled as barbarous, Pickering (1816) quotes an unnamed English correspondent: "The term Congress belonging to America, the Americans may employ its derivatives, without waiting for the assent of the English."
- congressman (n.)
- 1780, in reference to members of U.S. Congress, and it first appears in a piece of abuse (written by a Loyalist):
Ye coxcomb Congressmen, declaimers keen,
Congresswoman attested from 1918 (Jeannette Rankin (1880-1973) was the first).
Brisk puppets of the Philadelphia scene ... - Congreve
- in reference to rockets or matches, from Sir William Congreve (1772-1828).
- congruence (n.)
- mid-15c., from Latin congruentia "agreement, harmony, congruity," from congruentem (nominative congruens), present participle of congruere "to come together" (see congruent). Related: Congruency.
- congruent (adj.)
- early 15c., "suitable, proper," from Latin congruentem (nominative congruens) "agreeing, fit, suitable," present participle of congruere, literally "to come together, agree, correspond with," from com- "with" (see com-) + a lost verb *gruere, *ruere "fall, rush," perhaps from PIE *ghrei- "to rub, grind" (see chrism). Geometry sense attested by 1706.
- congruity (n.)
- late 14c., from Old French congruité "relevance, appropriateness," from Late Latin congruitatem (nominative congruens) "agreement," from congruus (see congruent).
- congruous (adj.)
- c.1600, from Latin stem congru- (see congruent) + -ous.
- conic (adj.)
- 1560s, "pertaining to a cone," from Latin conicus, from Greek konikos "cone-shaped," from konos (see cone).
- conical (adj.)
- 1560s, "pertaining to a cone," also "having the shape of a cone," from conic + -al (1).
- conifer (n.)
- 1851, from Latin conifer "cone-bearing, bearing conical fruit," from conus "cone" (see cone) + ferre "to bear" (see infer).
- coniferous (adj.)
- 1660s, from conifer + -ous.
- conject (v.)
- late 14c., obsolete verb replaced by conjecture (v.). Also in form congette.
- conjectural (adj.)
- 1550s, from Latin conjecturalis "belonging to conjecture," from conjectura (see conjecture). Related: Conjecturally (mid-15c.).
- conjecture (n.)
- late 14c., "interpretation of signs and omens," from Old French conjecture "surmise, guess," or directly from Latin coniectura "conclusion, interpretation, guess, inference," literally "a casting together (of facts, etc.)," from coniectus, past participle of conicere "to throw together," from com- "together" (see com-) + iacere "to throw" (see jet (v.)). Sense of "forming of opinion without proof" is 1530s.
- conjecture (v.)
- early 15c., from conjecture (n.). In Middle English also with a parallel conjecte (n.), conjecten (v.). Related: Conjectured; conjecturing.
- conjoin (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French conjoindre "meet, come together" (12c.), from Latin coniungere "to join together," from com- "together" (see com-) + iungere "join" (see jugular). Related: Conjoined, conjoining.
- conjoint (adj.)
- late 14c., from Middle French conjoint, past participle of conjoindre (see conjoin). Related: Conjointly (early 14c.).
- conjugal (adj.)
- 1540s, from Middle French conjugal (13c.), from Latin coniugalis "relating to marriage," from coniunx (genitive coniugis) "spouse," related to coniugare "to join together," from com- "together" (see com-) + iugare "to join," from iugum "yoke" (see jugular).
- conjugate (v.)
- 1520s, in grammatical sense; 1560s in literal sense, from Latin coniugatus, past participle of coniugare "to yoke together" (see conjugal). Earlier as an adjective (late 15c.). Related: Conjugated; conjugating.
- conjugation (n.)
- mid-15c., from Latin conjugationem (nominative conjugatio) "a combining, connecting," noun of action from conjugare "to join together" (see conjugal). Grammatical sense is 1520s.
- conjunct (adj.)
- mid-15c., from Latin coniunctus, past participle of coniugare (see conjugal). A doublet of conjoint.
- conjunction (n.)
- late 14c., originally of planets, from Old French conjonction "union, joining, sexual intercourse" (12c.), from Latin coniunctionem (nominative coniunctio), from past participle stem of coniugare "join together" (see conjugal). Cf. Italian congiunzione, Spanish conjunción. Grammatical sense (late 14c.) was in Latin, a loan-translation of Greek syndesmos. The word also had the meaning "sexual union" 17c.-18c.
- conjunctiva (n.)
- 1540s, medical Latin, short for membrana conjunctiva "conjunctive membrane" (see conjunctive).
- conjunctive (adj.)
- late 15c., from Latin coniunctivus "serving to connect," from coniunctus, past participle of coniungere (see conjoin). Grammatical sense is from 1660s.
- conjunctivitis (n.)
- 1835, inflammation of the conjunctiva; from conjunctiva + -itis.
- conjuncture (n.)
- c.1600, from French conjoncture (16c.), from Modern Latin *conjunctura, from Latin coniunctus (see conjunct).