conjuration
(kɒndʒʊˈreɪʃən)
Forms: 4–6 -cion, 4–5 -cioun(e, 5–6 -cyon, 6– conjuration.
[a. late OF. conjuration, -acion, ad. L. conjūrātiōn-em: see conjurison, the earlier type.]
I. Banding together by oath, conspiracy.
1. A swearing together; a making of a league by a common oath; a banding together against a superior power; conspiracy. arch.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. iv. 18 Canius..was accused by Gayus Cesar..þat he was knowyng and consentyng of a coniuracioun maked aȝeins hym. 1382 Wyclif 2 Kings xi. 14 And sche [Athaliah] kytt hyre clothis, and cryede, Conjuracioun! conjuracioun! a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) D, The coniuracion, that Catilina inuented agaynste his countreye. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 298 He was first one of that coniuration which was called the Barons warre. 1657 M. Hawke Killing is M. 46 Some nocturnal conjurations, and meetings of some malevolent persons. 1771 Goldsm. Hist. Eng. in Lett. I. 156 A conjuration against the king's life. 1891 Scottish Leader 29 June 4 Another secret society of criminals has been broken up by the Italian police. A most ferocious conjuration it would seem to be. 1907 W. G. Holmes Justinian & Theodora II. viii. 519 Communication and conjuration between the first two sections was established at Carthage. |
II. Constraining by oath, invoking of spirits, conjuring.
2. A solemn charging or calling upon by appeal to something sacred or binding; solemn appeal or entreaty, adjuration. arch. or Obs.
| c 1450 Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees) 2636 Cuthbert gretely was astonyd Of hir coniuracioun þat tyde. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 29 We charge you in the Name of God take heed..Vnder this Coniuration, speake my Lord. 1660 Shirley Andromana iii. iii, Andr. By that love, by all those vows have pass'd Betwixt us, hear me. Plangus. O Heaven! is that a conjuration! 1796 Burke Regic. Peace i. Wks. VIII. 122 That season, however, invoked by so many vows, conjurations and prayers, did not come. |
3. a. The effecting of something supernatural by the invocation of a sacred name or by the use of some spell; orig. the compelling of spirits or demons, by such means, to appear and do one's bidding.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 233 Quhen fendis distrenȝit ar For till apper and mak ansuar, Throu force off coniuracioune. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶529 Thilke horrible sweryng of Adiuracion and coniuracion as doon thise false Enchauntours or Nigromanciens. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) ii. 603, I trow he ys bewytchyd by sum coniuracion. 1541 Act 33 Hen. VIII, c. 8 Sondrie persons..practised inuocations and coniuracions of spirites. 1641 Termes de la Ley 76 Conjuration..seemeth by prayers and invocation upon the powerfull name of God, to compell the Devill to say or doe what hee commandeth. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 447/2 Simple people think that what..Juglers..do is through Conjuration and Witchcraft. 1793 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Ep. to Pope Wks. 1812 III. 209 Full of negro-faith in conjuration. 1837 Macdougall tr. Graah's Exp. Greenland 123, I have frequently been present on such occasions of conjuration. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 635 The word king was a word of conjuration. It was associated in the minds of many Englishmen with the idea of a mysterious character derived from above. |
b. Applied opprobriously.
| 1563 Foxe in Latimer's Serm. & Rem. (1845) p. xviii, How the institution of holy water and holy bread not only had no ground in scripture, but also how full of profane exorcisms and conjurations they were. 1563 Homilies ii. Whitsunday ii. (1859) 463 They..think it [baptism] is not well nor orderly done, unless they use conjuration; unless they hallow the water. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iv. xliv. 337 A..generall abuse of Scripture is the turning of Consecration into Conjuration. |
4. A magical form of words used in conjuring; a magic spell, incantation, charm.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth De P.R. xviii. xcv. (1495) 842 The serpent stoppyth his eere for he woll not here the enchauntours coniuracions. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iv. xix. 155 Oyle..saluted in thys maner; thrise Haile holy oyle: thrise Hayle holy chresme: thrise Hayle holy balme. Oute of whom haue they sucked such coniurations? 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits vii. (1596) 93 Wordes and coniurations, which make the diuell to tremble. 1831 Landor Inez de Castro Wks. 1846 II. 603 Those spells, Those conjurations, and those incantations. |
5. transf. Performance of magical art or sleight of hand; conjuring. Also attrib.
| a 1734 North Exam. iii. vii. §52 (1740) 541 Others, by the same Conjuration, were set out and launched for Protestants. 1826 Cobbett Rur. Rides (1885) II. 101 Are these schemes to go before this conjuration Committee? 1846 Mill Logic ii. ii. §2 The notion that the investigation of truth consisted entirely or partly in some kind of conjuration or juggle with those names. 1884 Sir J. Bacon in Law Times' Rep. LI. 355/2 No conjuration can make any difference between them. |
6. A conjuring-trick.
| 1820 Coleridge Lett., Convers., etc. I 88 A man ignorant of the law whence these conjurations [scientific experiments] proceeded. 1825 New Monthly Mag. XV. 12 The Christmas public may meet with a multiplicity of incomprehensible conjurations. |