▪ I. convene, v.
(kənˈviːn)
Also 5 conwene, 6 conven, 6–7 convein(e, 6–8 conveen, 7 conveane.
[a. F. conven-ir (pr. pple. conven-ant), in OF. also covenir, = Pr. covenir, convenir, Sp. convenir, It. convenire:—L. convenīre to come together, assemble, unite, agree, suit, fit, befit, f. con- together + venīre to come.]
I. To come or bring together.
1. intr. To come together; to assemble, or meet, esp. for a common purpose. a. of individuals.
Much more used in Scotland and U.S. than in England.
| 1429 in Rymer Fœdera X. 430/2 (Scotch Doc{supt}.) It is Accorded that Four Persones of either Partie..shall convene and assemble togidder. 1528 Gardiner in Pocock Rec. Ref. I. li. 124 At which time we convened in the pope's little chamber. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 15 The Scottis convenit in Argyle; quhair the capitanes war devidit..concerning this battell. 1622 Bacon Hen. VII Wks. (Bohn) 446 The two princes convened and communed together in the suburbs of Calais. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (1842) p. xxiii, I appointit the nixt Fryday to our elderis to convein..I warnit all to convein on Setterday nixt to the sermon of preparation at the ordinar tyme. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. II. xxxvi. 48 They convene in a large Hall. 1760 H. Brooke Fool of Quality (1792) v. 110 In the afternoon, all the town's folk and neighbours..convened to the great house. 1787 Burns Halloween ii, Some merry, friendly, countra folks Together did convene. 1830 Scott Demonol. x. 380 They convened within the premises of a tavern. 1871 Rossetti Love's Nocturn i, Master of the murmuring courts Where the shapes of sleep convene! |
b. of a collective body: To assemble for united action; to meet in a convention.
| 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. vii. xliv. 365 The States also conuening in a grand Councell at Oxford. 1671 True Nonconf. 152 That Council did conveen in the year 325. 1706 Maule Hist. Picts in Misc. Scot. I. 57 The chief city..where their chief courts of justice conveen. 1870 Emerson Soc. & Solit., Wk. & Days Wks. (Bohn) III. 71 Academies convene to settle the claims of the old schools. 1882 Proc. Berw. Nat. Club IX. 427 The ‘Birlie Court’ of the landowner is said to have convened under its shadow. |
c. transf. of things: To concur, occur together.
| 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. Q iij b, The sygnes of lepry aswel equyuocalles as vnyuocalles and are the sygnes that conueneth onely in this dysease. a 1774 Fergusson Cauler Water Poems (1845) 22 The graces That aft conveen In gleefu' looks, and bonnie faces. 1863 Mrs. C. Clarke Shaks. Char. xii. 310 As events convene, he gradually develops into an unfeeling and selfish man of the world. |
† d. To come together; to unite. Obs.
| 1667 Boyle Orig. Formes & Qual. 4 By guiding the first motions of the small parts of Matter, bring them to convene after the manner requisite to compose the World. 1692 Bentley Boyle Lect. vii. 216 Those dispersed Particles could never of themselves have conven'd into this present or any other like Frame of Heaven and Earth. 1738 Med. Ess. & Observ. (ed. 2) IV. 141 If the rays convene before the retina. |
2. refl. in prec. sense.
| 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. Q iij b, The equyuocal sygnes conueneth them in dyuers maladyes. 1585 Commend. Verses in Jas. I Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 10 Conveine your selfs (o sisters). 1638 Council Records in Inverness Courier 25 Oct. (1884) 3/4 The counsell..haifing convenit thaimselves. a 1674 Clarendon (J.), The..people would frequently..convene themselves by the sound of a bell. |
3. trans. To cause to come together; to convoke: a. individuals.
| 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scotl. (1885) 226 The hail estates he conueinet till Ed{supr}. 1645 Sir H. Slingsby Diary (1836) 156 First he [Chas. I] went to Abergeiny where he conven'd y⊇ country gentlemen. 1753 Hanway Trav. (1762) II. iv. iv. 114 Mir Vais now conveened the chief men of his tribe. 1795 Southey Joan of Arc iii. 257 With all due speed I will convene The Doctors of Theology. 1861 Stanley East. Ch. vii. (1869) 226 Fifty Bishops of the neighbouring dioceses were convened. |
b. a collective body, an assembly or meeting.
| 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. (1843) 53/1 The parliament..was convened by his Majesty's grace and inclination. 1703 Pope Thebais 274 Th'almighty Father of the Gods Convenes a council in the blest abodes. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. III. l. 123 They convened the assembly of the people. 1879 Froude Cæsar xxii. 367 The Senate was convened by the tribunes. 1885 Act 48–49 Vict. c. 54 §5 The Archdeacon..shall..convene a meeting of the beneficed clergy. |
4. To summon (a person) before a tribunal. In the University of Cambridge: To bring a student before the college court of discipline. (Not a statutable phrase.)
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. vii. vi. 78 The Byschape Robert þat gud man, He conwenyd be-fore hym þan. 1640–1 Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855) 35 Johne Gordoun..and George Levingstone..being baithe conveinit for committing ane ryot. 1660 Trial Regic. 105, I do wonder for what cause you do convene me here before you. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones iii. ii, Tom was presently convened before Mr. Allworthy. 1849 Thackeray Pendennis xviii, Foker, whom the Proctor knew..was..summarily convened and sent down from the University. 1865 Hook in Athenæum No. 1945. 154/3 Knapwell was convened before the Archbishop. |
II. To agree, harmonize.
† 5. intr. Of persons: To come to agreement in purpose, opinion, or action; to agree. Obs.
| 1549 Compl. Scot. xiv. 116 His purpos vas..to conuen and accord vitht the said Kyng of meid contrar the greikis. 1568 Q. Mary in H. Campbell Love-lett. Mary Q. Scots App. 29 They have convenit and accordit that my sone sould be deliverit in hir handis. 1637 R. Humfrey tr. St. Ambrose Pref., They all convene in this, that a young man..is an unfit hearer. 1652 Gaule Magastrom. 270. |
† 6. To agree or accord in size, quality, or character; to be suitable or fitting. convening to: conformable to, according to. Sc. Obs.
| 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. (1885) 62 Euerie foul [= fowl] conueining to the gretnes of the schel. 1600 J. Hamilton Facile Traictise 141 (Jam.) The halines of the doctrine conueinis not to the conuenticle of the Caluinistes. 1627 Bp. Forbes Eubulus 111 (Jam.) Barking can conveane but to living and sensitiue creatures. |
† 7. trans. To bring into agreement; to harmonize, settle. Obs.
| 1521 St. Papers Hen. VIII, VI. 86 To Almygthy Gode, wych hath gevyn yow grace so to ordyr and conven your afferys, that ye be..the ruler of thys your Realme. |
† 8. U.S. dial. To be convenient to; to suit, fit.
| 1816 J. Pickering Voc. Words U.S., Convene..is used in some parts of New England in a very strange sense..‘This road will convene the public,’ i.e. will be convenient for the public. The word, however, is used only by the illiterate. 1837–40 Haliburton Clockm. (1862) 78 Father..never confined himself to water neither, when he could get anything convened him better. |
9. intr. To come together in harmony; to harmonize, fit each other.
| 1855 Thackeray Newcomes I. 305 There are articles which the marriage-monger cannot make to convene at all, tempers..tastes, etc. |
▪ II. convene
obs. Sc. f. covin, compact, company.