connive, v.
(kəˈnaɪv)
[ad. L. connīvē-re (in cl. period cōnīvēre) to shut the eyes, blink, wink, be dull or drowsy, shut the eyes to crime or wrong, f. con- together + a primitive *nīvēre not found, but app. related to nicĕre to make a sign, nictāre to wink, twinkle the eyelids; cf. F. conniver in same sense, 16th c. in Littré.]
1. intr. To shut one's eyes to a thing that one dislikes but cannot help, to pretend ignorance, to take no notice. Const. at. arch.
| 1602 Carew Cornwall (1811) 412 By means of those villains..the opinion was so rivetted..that his Lordship must at least connive at it. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler (1843) 9 They must connive in some cases, but may not concede in any. 1718 Lady M. W. Montague Lett. II. xlix. 64 The grandsigneir connives at the loss of these dominions, for fear of losing even the titles of them. 1732 Fielding Mod. Husb. Epil., Husbands most faults, not publick made, connive at; The trip's a trifle—when the frailty's private. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 389 While the Whig party was still formidable, the government thought it expedient occasionally to connive at the violation of this rule. |
† b. To shut one's eyes to the faults of, look indulgently at or on. Obs.
| 1629 Massinger Picture iii. ii, Pray you, connive On my weak tenderness. 1646 F. Hawkins Youth's Behav. (1663) To Rdr., Gentle Youth, think it not amiss to peruse this Piece, yet connive at the style; for it hath need thereof. |
2. To shut one's eyes to an action that one ought to oppose, but which one covertly sympathizes with; to wink at, be secretly privy or accessory. (The ordinary sense.)
| 1632 Brome Novella v. Wks. 1873 I. 162 If you receive the Duccats..pray bring our shares, Wee all connive you know. 1667 Decay Chr. Piety (J.), The licentiousness of inferiours, and the remissness of superiours, the one violates and the other connives. a 1720 Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.) Wks. (1753) II. 151 He judges, as all Rome did, that I conniv'd at his death. 1765 T. Hutchinson Hist. Col. Mass. i. 4 He promised to connive. 1840 Macaulay Clive 70 To connive at abuses while pretending to remove them. 1867 Smiles Huguenots Eng. xv. (1880) 262 The maritime population..actively connived at their escape. |
† 3. To wink at (offenders); to look at (a person) with secret sympathy or indulgence. Obs.
| 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. iv. iii. 691 Sure the Gods doe this yeere conniue at vs, and we may doe any thing extempore. 1640 Order Ho. Com. in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1692) iii. I. 53 Accused for Releasing and Conniving at Popish Priests. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. iii. v. §53 Malefactours protected by the Citizens of Oxford, who..connived at offenders who had done mischiefs to the Scholars. 1749 Chesterfield Lett. 21 Aug. (1774) II. 200 You must renounce courts, if you will not connive at knaves and tolerate fools. |
b. To have a covert understanding with (a person); to take part or co-operate with privily.
| 1797 E. M. Lomax in Philanthrope No. 28. 222 He will be so vain and conceited as to connive with you. 1831 Scott Cast. Dang. ii, Dost thou connive with the wolves in robbing thine own fold? 1850 Mrs. Browning Poems I. 6 Who acts, connives With God's relations set in time and space. |
† 4. To shut one's eyes from neglect, to neglect to look at, disregard, leave unnoticed. Obs.
| a 1635 Naunton Fragm. Reg. (Arb.) 24 An ancient Law..lay long covered in the embers of division between the Houses of York and Lancaster, and forgotten or connived at by the succeeding Princes. |
† 5. To remain dormant or inactive. Obs. rare. (So in L.) Cf. connivent 2.
| 1667 Milton P.L. x. 624, I suffer them to enter..and conniving seem To gratifie my scornful Enemies. 1671 ― Samson 465 He, be sure, Will not connive, or linger, thus provoked, But will arise and his great name assert. |
† 6. To dispense covertly with. Obs. rare.
| 1623 Abp. Williams in Hacket Life i. 178 Those Statutes..are all..in full force, and in Free Execution. Nor were they ever intended to be connived with in the least Syllable. |
† 7. trans. To wink at, overlook, tacitly permit, pass over (a fault or offence). Obs.
| c 1608 Hieron Discov. Hypocr. Ep. Ded., If your Lordship shall please..to conniue my presuming. 1617 ― Wks. II. 154 So God conniueth many weakenesses in His deare children. 1643 Milton Divorce Ded. (1851) 7 Divorces were not conniv'd only, but with open eye allow'd of old for hardnesse of heart. |
† 8. intr. To wink (lit. but with allusion to sense 1). Obs. nonce-use.
| 1712 Addison Spect. No. 305 ¶10 This Artist is to teach them how to nod judiciously, to shrug up their shoulders in a dubious case, to connive with either Eye. |
9. Nat. Hist. To be connivent (q.v.). rare.
| 1830 Lindley Nat. Syst. Bot. 120 Petals the same number, conniving at the base, or even cohering. |