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conceit (it is often difficult to determine the precise meaning)
1. what is conceived in the mind, conception, idea, thought LLL. II. i. 72, Mer.V. III. iv. 2, Ham. IV. v. 46* “ upon her father,” Oth. III. iii. 115 “Some horrible conceit,” Sonn. cviii. 13 “the first of love.”
2. faculty of conceiving, apprehension, understanding, mental faculty or capacity Err. IV. ii. 65, AYL. V. ii. 60 “a gentleman of good ,” John III. iii. 50, Troil. I. iii. 153 “whose Lies in his hamstring,” Per. III. i. 16.
3. personal opinion or estimate Gent. III. ii. 17 “the good conceit I hold of thee,” H8 II. iii. 74.
4. imagination, fancy AYL. II. vi. 8, R2 II. ii. 33, Ham. III. iv. 113* “ in weakest bodies strongest works,” Lr. IV. vi. 43; gaiety of imagination, wit 2H4 II. iv. 263* “there is no more in him than is in a mallet.”
5. fanciful design, device, invention 1H6 IV. i. 102, Tit. IV. ii. 30, Ham. V. ii. 160 “of very liberal ” ; fancy article MND. I. i. 33 “rings, gawds, conceits.”
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hide References (15 total)
  • Cross-references in text-specific dictionaries from this page (15):
    • William Shakespeare, King Lear, 4.6
    • William Shakespeare, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 3.1
    • William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 3.4
    • William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 4.5
    • William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 5.2
    • William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona, 3.2
    • William Shakespeare, King John, 3.3
    • William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2.6
    • William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 5.2
    • William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, 4.2
    • William Shakespeare, The First Part of Henry VI, 4.1
    • William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 3.4
    • William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1.1
    • William Shakespeare, Richard II, 2.2
    • William Shakespeare, Sonnets, cviii
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