conversationist

[Eng. conversation: -ist.] One who has high powers of conversation. "Kit-Cat, the famous conversationist." Byron: Don Juan, xiii. 47. Earth to despise; but, to converse with Heaven- This is not easy.' - Words worth : Excursion , bk. iv. *5. To have dealings, traffic, or intercourse with. they may friendly conuerse & exercise mutual traffick together." -Hackluyt : Voyages, vol. i., p. 159. *6. To have sexual intercourse. "Much le can bird with beast, or fish with fowl, So well converse." Milton: P. L. , viii. 395. IMG:content-0846.png:[blocks in formation] "Bedlo without the e, what is it but Oldeb conversed?" -Poe: Tale of Ragged Mounts. côn'-verse-ly, adv . [Eng. converse; -ly.] The cases being changed the one for the other; in re- verse order, in a contrary order; reciprocally. con-vers-er, s. [Eng.convers(e); -er.] One who converses; a talker. con-vers-i-ble, a. [Eng. convers(e); -able .] Capable of being converted or made converse. For the difference between conversible and facetious , see FACETIOUS. con-vers-ing, pr . par . , a. & 8. [CONVERSE, v.] A. & B. As pr . par . & particip. adj.: (See the verb.) IMG:content-0847.png:[blocks in formation] 1. Law : The act of appropriating to private use, as in trover and conversion. "Or bring my action of conversion And trover for my goods." 4. Military : (1) A change of front. (2) The alteration of a muzzle-loading gun or rifle to breech-loading. only once in the Bible, but portions of the verb to 5. Scrip. & Theol.: The word conversion occurs convencer eleven times, and the substantive convert once. Conversion is the rendering of the Greek word epistrophen literally (1) a turning about, (2) a turning toward. Conversio in Latin, and conversion in English, are the exactly corre spondent words in those languages. The meaning is that a large number of the Gentiles had "turned about" so as to leave behind them their belief in the imaginary divinities of their countrymen and direct their faces toward Christianity, a spiritual and moral renovation attending their change of belief. The verb to convert is used of a change wrought upon a sinner's heart when he was turned from his sins to God without any change in his nom- inal religious profe ions; before and after his change of heart he remained an avowed adherent of Judaism (Psalm li. 13). Of such a change of heart the "law of the Lord" is an instrument or mear means (Psalm xix.), or the instrumentality may be by repentance and forgivene (Acts iii. 19). It makes the character child-like, and none but those kingdom of heaven (Matt. xviii. 3). There are syn- onymous words of the same meaning; as, for in stance, turn in Jer. xxx i, 18, where, for the produc tion of the spiritual change described, the inter- vention of the Divine Being is considered to be needful, and is sought in prayer (Jer. xxx i. 18). This is the continual teaching of the New Testa ment (John vi. 44, xvi. 7-11; Acts ii. 26). Many (5) Conversion of propositions : Logic : A changing of the subject into the place of convert 2. Law : To appropriate to private use. (6).] [I. 2, 3. Ship - building : To alter in size, character, or rig. 4. Mil .: To alter a muzzle-loading gun or rifle to breech-loading. "Some cast-iron smooth-bore guns are still converted for the Government." -Ca ell's Technical Educator , pt. ii., p. 218. 5. Theol .: To produce in an individual the spiritual change described under CONVERSION, B. 6. *B. Intransitive: 1. To turn round. "Thesu conuertid and John i. 38. 2. To be turned or directed. 1102 the iron; a subsequent addition to the charge makes a further chemical change, and the result is a grade of steel. It is used in the Be emer proce . ( Knight .) III. Electricity : An induction coil used with the alternating current for changing potential differ- ence and inversely therewith the available current. con-vert-i-bil-i-ty, s. [Eng. convertible ; -ity .] 1. The quality of being convertible; capability of being converted. IMG:content-0848.png:[blocks in formation] ( a ) Of material things: 2. Capability of being exchanged for other things. con-vert-I-ble, a. [Eng. convert; euph. -able.] 1. Capable of being converted or changed from one state into another. "Minerals are not convertible into another species,."- Harvey. 2. Capable of being applied to any use. IMG:content-0849.png:[blocks in formation] A. As substantive: I. Ordinary Language: 3. So exactly correspondent in character or power that one may be used for another; capable of being logically converted; equivalent. ". the law, and the opinion of the judge, are not always convertible terms, ."-Black stone: Comment., vol. i., introd., § 3. opinion or practice to another. 2. In the same sense as II. 1. II. Technically : 1. Theol .: One who is converted from one religion to another, especially from any false religion to Christianity. "The Jesuits did not persuade the converts to lay aside the use of images."- Stilling fleet : Defense of Discourse on Rom . Idol. * Eccles .: A lay brother admitted in monasteries to the service of the house, but not to orders, nor to sing in the choir. ( Aytiffe .) *B. As adj .: Converted to the true religion. ". circumcising the convert Gentiles, Locke: Galatians , ch. ii., note 2. ." Crabb thus discriminates between convert and proselyte: " Convert is more extensive in its sense and application than proselyte : convert in its full sense includes every change of opinion, without respect to the subject; proselyte in its strict sense refers only to changes from one religion to another Conversion is a more voluntary act than proselytism; it emanates entirely from the mind of the agent, independent of foreign influence; it extends not merely to the abstract or speculative opinions of the individual, but to the whole current his feelings and spring of his actions: it is the conversion of the heart and soul. Proselytism is an outward act, which need not extend beyond the conformity of one's words and actions to a certain rule: convert is therefore always taken in a good sense; it bears on the face of it the stamp of sincerity: proselyte is a term of more ambiguous meaning; the proselyte is often the creature and tool of a party; there may be many proselytes where there are no converts ." (Crabb: Eng. Synon.) con-vert'-ěd, a. [CONVERT, v .] IMG:content-0850.png:[blocks in formation] Followed by with before that with which any the specific e ence, to which our name belongs, and is convertible with it."-Locke. 4. Interchangeable; capable of being changed one for the other; as, b , p , and f are convertible letters. 5. Capable of being exchanged for anything else. con-vert-i-ble-ne , s. [Eng. convertible ; -ne .] The quality of being convertible; convertibility. con-vert-i-bly, adv. [Eng. convertib (le); -ly.] By conversion or interchange; interchangeably, reciprocally. con-vert-ing, pr. par., a. & s. [CONVERT, v.] A. & B. As pr. par. & particip. adj.: (See the verb.) IMG:content-0851.png:[blocks in formation] 1. Ship - building : The changing in cla of a ve el by alteration in size, character, or rig. 2. Mil .: The act or proce of changing a muzzle loading gun or riffe into breech-loading. 3. Theol.: The same as CONVERSION, B. 6 (q. v.). converting-furnace, s. A furnace for converting wrought-iron into steel. The proce is as follows: The bars of iron are cut by shears to the required length and are placed in layers in a flat, narrow furnace, with intervening layers of pounded charcoal. Above the alternate strata of iron and charcoal is a covering of ferruginous earth. The ma being heated, the carbon is in some way absorbed by the iron, which is converted into steel. This is known as CEMENTING (q. v.). The resulting blister steel, so called from the blisters formed by bubbles of gas which were eliminated during the proce of conversion, is then cut up, reheated and hammered, and becomes shear steel. Blister steel, cut up, heated in crucibles, poured into molds, and the ingots hammered into shape, becomes cast-steel. ( Knight .)