congenital (kon-jĕn'-i-tal), adj. Existing at birth; hereditary. The number of children with congenital defects is surprisingly large.

It is attributed to congenital deafness.

Congenital imbecility is at last recognized as a malady to be coped with scientifically and humanely.

congeries (kon-jē’-rĭ-ēz), n. Singular and plural. Aggregation; a collection of people, esp., things; heap; mass.

What a congeries of elements united to give this result! Public opinion is a congeries of prejudices, fancies, aspirations, vagaries, etc.

conical (kon'-i-kǎl), adj. Pertaining to a cone; round and tapering to a point.

It is conical in shape and very high.

conjectural (kõn-jěk'-tūr-ăl), adj. Of the nature of or pertaining to conjecture (surmise; guess).

Of course it is conjectural.

conjecture (kŏn-jěk'-tūr), n. also v. i. Surmise; inference; to infer; to form conjecture. Word of similar import, "guess.' It was a reasonable conjecture.

It was a matter of conjecture.
This is the most plausible conjecture.
It was easy to conjecture the result.

LESSON TWENTY-THREE.

But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling like dew upon a thought, produces

That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.-Byron.

conjuncture (kõn-jŭnk'-tūr), n. A coming together; now, combination of circumstances, a crisis; critical state of affairs.

It was an embarrassing conjuncture of circumstances. No one could, at that conjuncture, have given greater assistance.

conjure (kun'-jer; kun-jer'), v. t. Call forth; cause to exist or to appear to exist as if by magic; to bring into existence by conjuring; also, to bind by an oath or by divine sanction.

Conjure up a memory of the most perfect day in your life.

I believe that you could conjure up an evil spirit.

"I conjure you by the living God to come out of him."

connate (kon'-āt; ko-nāt'), adj. Inborn; implanted at or existing at birth; cognate. Word of similar import, "congenital.”

These connate traits are inherited.

They are the connate truths of an ancient race.

connatural (ko-năt'-u-răl), adj. Closely related; of the same nature; inborn; connate; like in kind or quality.

We with kings and queens will pass away, and mingle with our connatural dust.

These traits are connatural to us.

connive (ko-niv') v. i. To feign ignorance; to help secretly in a shady scheme; pretending not to see.

These are things at which we usually connive.

Would you connive at a plot to cast suspicion of this on him?

"To connive at crime is to believe in it."

She connives at the concealment of serious offenses.

connivance (ko-niv'-ǎns), n. The act of conniving. It was deliberate connivance.

connoisseur (kon-i-sûr'; kon-i-sür'), n. A critical judge of any art or in a matter of taste.

He is a connoisseur of feminine beauty.

She is a connoisseur of rugs.

Through study, he had become a connoisseur of fine arts.
We referred the matter to a connoisseur.

connotation (kon-ō-tā'-shun), n. That which is connoted; act of connoting; a meaning in a certain relation to the subject. The idea is humorous in its connotations.

The word has many interesting connotations.

This could not be qualified by the connotation of the

word "high-brow."

It has a more formal connotation.

The connotation of the word in this instance was incorrect.

connote (ko-nōt'), v. t. To mean; to indicate.

This connotes distinction, sometimes arrogance.
Your anxiety connotes doubt.

The use of such a word connotes lack of refinement. Heirlooms are generally considered as connoting some degree of good birth.

They accept it with all the evil that it engenders and connotes.

connubial (ko-nu' bi-ăl), adj. Pertaining to marriage.

It is a wonderful example of connubial affection.

Some think that connubial bliss has been much overrated.

consanguineous (kon-săn-gwin'-e-us), adj. Of the same blood; descended from the same ancestors; akin.

In consanguineous marriages an increased amount of · congenital disease is often the result.

conscript (kon-skript'), v. t. (kon'-skript), n.

Draft to enroll compulsorily for naval or military service; one who is compulsorily enrolled for service, naval or military.

They were conscripted for war service.

Permission to leave the service was decided in favor of the conscript.

consecrate (kõn'-sē-krāt), adj. also v. t. Sacred; to declare or make sacred; dedicate; to sanctify; hallow; devote to God's service.

She decided to consecrate herself to this noble cause.
The church was consecrated.

consensus (kon-sĕn'-sus), n. Agreement in custom or opinion; accord; general agreement.

The general consensus of opinion is that she was justified.
The consensus of reprobation was general.

conserve (kon-sûrv'), v. t. also n. To keep in a sound state; preserve.

We do this that food may be conserved.
Conserve your energies.

consolidate (kon-sŏl'-i-dāt), v. t. and i.

Come or bring into

close union; to make or become solid; to unite.

Three banks were consolidated.

consonance (kon'-sõ-năns), n. Harmony; accord; agreement.
Here we have a consonance of sweet sounds.

These statements are in perfect consonance with theirs.
This is more in consonance with our own belief.

consonant (kŏn'-sõ-nănt), adj. also n.

Consistent; according;

What I have accomplished has been consonant to my understanding of truth.

This is not consonant with my dignity or self-respect.
A consonant can only be sounded with a vowel.

consort (kon-sôrt'), v. i. Associate; to unite; agree.
She consorted with kings.

conspectus (kon-spěk'-tus), n. Latin. Synopsis; general outline or view. Words of similar import, "compendium," "synopsis." This book gives a conspectus of all the literary forms. Here we have a conspectus of ancient poetry.

It will be difficult to obtain a conspectus of this literary work.

consternation (kon-stĕr-nā'-shun), n. Amazement or horror that disconcerts; dismay.

To our utter consternation, he produced the evidence.

LESSON TWENTY-FOUR.

The common fluency of speech in many men, and most women, is owing to a scarcity of matter, and a scarcity of words; for whoever is a master of language, and hath a mind full of ideas, will be apt, in speaking, to hesitate upon the choice of both; whereas common speakers have only one set of ideas, and one set of words to clothe them in.-Swift.

constrain (kon-strān'), v. t. To compel; force; urge. I feel constrained to express my appreciation. Habit and hunger constrained them to eat.

consummate (kon'-su-māt; kon-sŭm'-āt), v. t. also a. To arrive at or bring to completion or perfection; achieve; finish; a quality existing in its highest degree.

They may consummate the transaction.

A liberal education consummates and crowns the life of

man.

By eternal vigilance, our ideals may be consummated.
She is a consummate artist.

The marriage was consummated.

consummation (kon-su-ma'-shun), n. State of being consummated; completion; perfection.

I retire with the consummation of my mission.

When the transaction was ready for consummation, she changed her mind.

contemplate (kon'-těm-plat; kon-těm'-plāt), v. t. To consider with constant attention or thoughtfully; looking forward to; to have in view; to meditate.

It inspires us to contemplate the influence of such a life.
It is a situation that is appalling to contemplate.

contemplation (kon-těm-plā'-shun),

ing or viewing with care.

n. The act of contemplat

He was absorbed in the contemplation of her photograph.
Some think Heaven consists of eternal contemplation.

contemporary (kon-těm'-pō-rā-ri), adj. also n. Contemporaneous; occurring or living at the same time; coeval; a person or thing that is contemporary.

Here we have contemporary thoughts.

They did not understand Shakespeare, their contemporary.
He communicated the facts to his contemporaries.

conterminous (kon-tûr'-mi-nus), adj. Having the same limits or bounds.

These two chief Chinese rivers are conterminous.

His life was conterminous with the cessation of his professional activity.

contiguous (kõn-tig'-ū-ŭs), adj. Near; close; touching; meeting or joining. Phrase of similar import, "in juxtaposition." My farm is contiguous to his; together they make a square.

continent (kon'-ti-něnt), adj. also n. Temperate; restrained; chaste; restrained, as indulgence of desires or passions. He had a continent forbearance.

Her life had been as pure, as continent, as chaste as a virgin's.

contingency (kon-tin'-jěn-si), n. State or quality of being contingent (liable, but not certain to occur); something that may but need not happen.

They were considering the contingencies of human experi

ence.

continuity (kŏn-ti-nū’-i-ti), n. State or quality of being continuous; uninterrupted.

The life of a world is a continuity of generations.

We have no assurance of the continuity of time.

It will break the continuity of existence.

The continuity of his thought was rudely interrupted. There was a lack of continuity in her line of thought; she changes from one subject to another with bewildering rapidity.

contour (kon-tōōr'; kōn'-tōōr), n. The outline of a body, figure, mountain, etc.; the line representing this outline.

The contour of her face is very beautiful.

contraband (kon'-trȧ-bănd), n. and adj. Illegal traffic; smuggled; prohibited by law; forbidden.

Contraband copies are in circulation.

He had the contraband stuff at the time of the arrest.

contravene (kon-trȧ-vēn'), v. t. To act contrary to; to oppose in effect or principle; violate; nullify.

They contravene no law of reason.

They cannot contravene the Holy Bible.

contravention (kon-trå-věn'-shun), n. The act of opposing or of acting in opposition to; violation.

The statement was in direct contravention to my own belief.

It is in contravention to all the rules of civilization.

contretemps (kôn-tr-tän’), n. French. Hitch; an awkward accident; an unexpected, embarrassing occurrence. It was an awkward little contretemps.