Construe

Construe
Construe Con*strue (?; Archaic ?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Construed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Construing}.] [L. construere: cf. F. construire. See {Construct}.] 1. To apply the rules of syntax to (a sentence or clause) so as to exhibit the structure, arrangement, or connection of, or to discover the sense; to explain the construction of; to interpret; to translate. [1913 Webster]

2. To put a construction upon; to explain the sense or intention of; to interpret; to understand. [1913 Webster]

Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words to free ourselves either from the ignorance or malice of our enemies. --Bp. Stilingfleet. [1913 Webster]

And to be dull was construed to be good. --Pope. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • construe — I (comprehend) verb accipere, analyze, apprehend, ascertain the meaning of, assimilate, be aware of, be given to understand, cognize, conceive of, conclude, conclude from evidence, consignify, decipher, decode, deduce, deduce by interpretation,… …   Law dictionary

  • construe — (v.) late 14c., from L.L. construere to relate grammatically, in classical Latin to build up, pile together (see CONSTRUCTION (Cf. construction)); also see CONSTRUCT (Cf. construct), which is a later acquisition of the same word. Related:… …   Etymology dictionary

  • construe — vb explicate, elucidate, interpret, expound, *explain Analogous words: *analyze, resolve, break down, dissect: *understand, comprehend, appreciate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • construe — [v] deduce; explain analyze, decipher, define, explicate, expound, figure it to be*, infer, interpret, one’s best guess*, parse, read, render, spell out, take, translate, understand; concepts 37,57 …   New thesaurus

  • construe — ► VERB (construes, construed, construing) (often be construed) ▪ interpret in a particular way. DERIVATIVES construable adjective construal noun. ORIGIN Latin construere heap together, build …   English terms dictionary

  • construe — [kən stro͞o′] vt. construed, construing [ME construen < L construere: see CONSTRUCT] 1. to analyze (a sentence, clause, etc.) so as to show its syntactic construction and its meaning 2. loosely to translate (a passage) orally 3. to explain or… …   English World dictionary

  • construe — UK [kənˈstruː] / US [kənˈstru] verb [transitive] Word forms construe : present tense I/you/we/they construe he/she/it construes present participle construing past tense construed past participle construed formal to understand the meaning of… …   English dictionary

  • construe — 1. noun /kənˈstruː/ a) A translation. b) An interpretation. 2. verb /kənˈstruː/ a) To interpret or explain the meaning …   Wiktionary

  • construe — v. 1) (d; tr.) to construe as (he construed the statement as a threat) 2) (M) I construed his speech to be a warning * * * [kən struː] (M) I construed his speech to be a warning (d;tr.) to construe as (he construed the statement as a threat) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • construe — con|strue [ kən stru ] verb transitive FORMAL to understand the meaning of something in a particular way: INTERPRET: construe something as something: Please do not construe this as any criticism of yourself …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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