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Con vs Coun - What's the difference?

con | coun |

As nouns the difference between con and coun

is that con is cone while coun is .

con

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) connen, from (etyl) . More at (l).

Verb

(conn)
  • (rare) To study, especially in order to gain knowledge of.
  • * Wordsworth
    • Fixedly did look / Upon the muddy waters which he conned / As if he had been reading in a book.
  • * Burke
    • I did not come into Parliament to con my lesson.
  • * 1963 , D'Arcy Niland, Dadda jumped over two elephants: short stories :
    • The hawk rested on a crag of the gorge and conned the terrain with a fierce and frowning eye.''
  • (rare, archaic) To know, understand, acknowledge.
  • * 1579 , , Iune:
    • Of Muses Hobbinol, I conne no skill
  • to conduct the movements of a ship at sea.
    • Related terms
    * ken * unconned

    Etymology 2

    Abbreviation of (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted with its advantages (pros ).
    • pros and cons
    Synonyms
    * disadvantage
    Antonyms
    * pro
    Related terms
    * pros and cons

    Etymology 3

    Shortened from (convict).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang) A convicted criminal, a convict.

    • Etymology 4

    From (con trick), shortened from (confidence trick).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (slang) A fraud; something carried out with the intention of deceiving, usually for personal, often illegal, gain.
    • Synonyms
    * See also

    Verb

    (conn)
  • (slang) To trick or defraud, usually for personal gain.
    • Synonyms
    * (to be conned) be sold a pup

    Related terms

    * con artist * con game * con man * con trick

    Etymology 5

    From earlier (cond), from (etyl) conduen, from (etyl) conduire, from (etyl) .

    Verb

  • (nautical) To give the necessary orders to the helmsman to steer a ship in the required direction through a channel etc. (rather than steer a compass direction)

    • Noun

    (-)
  • (nautical) The navigational direction of a ship
    • Derived terms
    * conning tower * take the con

    Etymology 6

    or (conference).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An organized gathering such as a convention or conference.

    • See also

    * cone * mod cons

    Anagrams

    * English three-letter words ----

    coun

    English

    Noun

    (head)
  • * 1866 , “Appendix to Report of the Minister of Agriculture and Statistics: The Blue Book; or, Statement of the Public Service of Canada for the year 1864”, in Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada , volume 26, page 7:
    • Entered service of Leg. Coun.' of U. C. May, 1822. Appointed Clerk Asst. to Leg. ' Coun. in 1841—Master in Chancery in 1851.
  • * 1922 July 1, in A. Precott Folwell (editor), Public Works , Volume 53, Number 1, page 13:
    • Ind., Goshen— Elkhart Co. Coun. approved road building program requiring $347,200 bond issue for hard surf. roads.
  • * 2003 , , Absolute Friends , ][http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-Friends-John-Carre/dp/0316159395 Little, Brown and Company (2004), ISBN 978-0-316-15939-5, page 176:
    • “And we work full-time with the Brit. Coun. ?”