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Con vs Stain - What's the difference?

con | stain |

As verbs the difference between con and stain

is that con is to study, especially in order to gain knowledge of while stain is to discolour something.

As nouns the difference between con and stain

is that con is a disadvantage of something, especially when contrasted with its advantages (pros) while stain is a discoloured spot or area.

As a proper noun Con

is a male given name, a diminutive form of Conor or Cornelius.

As an initialism CON

is Certificate of Need.

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 ----

    stain

    English

    (wikipedia stain)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A discoloured spot or area.
  • A blemish on one's character or reputation.
  • A substance used to soak into a surface and colour it.
  • A reagent or dye used to stain microscope specimens so as to make some structures visible.

    • Derived terms

    * (l) * Giemsa stain * Leishman stain * Romanowsky stain * Wright-Giemse stain * Wright's stain

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To discolour something
    • to stain the hand with dye
    armour stained with blood
  • To taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation
  • * Milton
    • Of honour void, / Of innocence, of faith, of purity, / Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained .
  • To coat a surface with a stain
    • to stain wood with acids, coloured washes, paint rubbed in, etc.
    the stained glass used for church windows
  • To treat a microscope specimen with a dye
  • To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison.
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
    • She stains the ripest virgins of her age.
  • * Spenser
    • that did all other beasts in beauty stain

    Anagrams

    * ----