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CULTURAL NOTE In the US, the political parties hold national conventions every four years to decide who will be that party's CANDIDATE for PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT. The conventions are held after the PRIMARY elections, and the person with the most votes in the primaries is usually the person chosen to run (=try to get elected) for President. At the conventions the party members also discuss what their policies (POLICY) will be.
-> see colour photo on page A35
3 [C] a formal agreement especially between countries on something that is important to them all: The countries all agreed to sign the convention. | the Geneva Convention -> compare PACT, TREATY (1)
con·ven·tion·al /kənˈvenʃənəl/ adj 1 often derog following accepted customs and standards, sometimes too closely and without originality: I'm afraid I'm rather conventional in my tastes. | After a few conventional opening remarks, he made a brilliant speech. | More and more people are turning away from conventional Western medicine to alternative methods of treatment. | conventional clothes/opinions -> opposite UNCONVENTIONAL 2 (of a weapon etc) not NUCLEAR: conventional weapons/warfare —ly adv —ity /kənˌvenʃəˈnæləti/ n [C;U]
conventional oven n an ordinary OVEN not a MICROWAVE: This will take 3 minutes in a microwave or 25 minutes in a conventional oven.
con·ven·tion·eer /kənˌvenʃəˈnɪər/ n especially AmE fml someone who is attending a convention
'convent school n a school, especially one for girls, that is run by Catholic NUNS and often has severe rules of behaviour that must be obeyed
con·verge /kənˈvɜːdʒ||-ɜːr-/ v [I;(on)] (of two or more things) to come together towards the same point: The roads converge just before the station. | The two armies converged on the enemy capital. | Our interests appear to converge at this point. -> compare DIVERGE —vergence n [C;U] —vergent adj: convergent lines
con·ver·sant /kənˈvɜːsənt||-ɜːr-/ adj 1 [F+with] fml familiar; having knowledge of: Before you start to play the game you should make sure you're conversant with the rules. | Are you conversant with the facts of the case? 2 [(in)] AmE able to hold a conversation: He's conversant in French but not really fluent. | a conversant speaker of Russian
con·ver·sa·tion /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃən||ˌkɑːnvər-/ n [C;U] (an) informal talk in which people exchange news, feelings, and thoughts: a telephone conversation | to have/hold a conversation | It's impossible to carry on a conversation with all this noise in the background. | This is a private conversation; don't interrupt! | In today's programme, three well-known artists are in conversation with (=talking to) the President of the Academy.
con·ver·sa·tion·al /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃənəl||ˌkɑːnvər-/ adj (of a word, phrase, or style) commonly used in conversation: Business letters are not usually written in conversational style. | classes in conversational French —ly adv
con·ver·sa·tion·al·ist /ˌkɒnvəˈseɪʃənəlɪst||ˌkɑːnvər-/ n a person whose conversation is clever and interesting
conver'sation piece n something, e.g. an interesting object, that provides a subject for conversation. It is often said in a joking way of objects which seem very strange or ugly.
con·verse1 /kənˈvɜːs||-ɜːrs/ v [I;(on, about, with)] fml to talk informally; have a conversation: It's difficult to converse rationally with people who hold extremist views.
con·verse2 /ˈkɒnvɜːs||ˈkɑːnvɜːrs/ adj [A] fml (of opinions, beliefs, or statements) opposite; CONTRARY: I hold the converse opinion.
con·verse3 /ˈkɒnvɜːs||ˈkɑːnvɜːrs/ n 1 [the (of)] a fact, word, statement etc that is the opposite of another: 'Buyer' is the converse of 'seller'. 2 [the (of)] tech (in LOGIC) a statement made by changing the order of some of the words in another statement: 'It's windy but not wet' is the converse of 'It's wet but not windy'. 3 [U] old use for CONVERSATION
con·verse·ly /kənˈvɜːsli, . ˈkɒnvɜːsli||kənˈvɜːrsli, ˈkɑːnvɜːrsli/ adv on the other hand; taking the opposite point of view: This newspaper story could damage their reputation; conversely, it will give them a lot of free publicity.
con·ver·sion /kənˈvɜːʃən||-vɜːrʒən/ n 1 [C;U(of, from, into, to)] the act or process of converting; a change from one purpose, system etc to another: the conversion of kilometres into miles/steam into power | conversion from coal to gas heating | a company that does house conversions (=changing large houses into several smaller units) 2 [C(from, to)] a change in which a person accepts a new religion, belief etc, completely: her conversion to Islam/Christianity | His sudden conversion to the anti-nuclear movement may make the voters suspicious. | to undergo a conversion | a deathbed conversion (=one made just before death) 3 [C;U] tech (in RUGBY and American football) the act of kicking the ball over the bar of the GOAL to gain additional points after a TRY or TOUCHDOWN
con'conversion course n BrE a course for students who have some knowledge of a subject, but who need slightly different or extra knowledge in order to do something: A qualified pilot would still need a conversion course to fly microlight aircraft.
con·vert1 /kənˈvɜːt||-ɜːrt/ v 1 [I;T(to, into)] to (cause to) change into another form, substance, or state, or from one purpose, system etc to another: Coal can be converted to gas. | This sofa converts into a bed. | to convert pounds into dollars | They live in a converted barn. (=a BARN changed into a house) 2 [I;T(from, to)] to (persuade to) accept a particular religion, belief etc: He was converted to Christianity after visiting Jerusalem. | Anne has converted to Catholicism. | (fig.) My daughter has finally converted me to pop music. (=persuaded me to like it) 3 [T] tech (in RUGBY and American football) to complete (a TRY or TOUCHDOWN) by kicking the ball over the bar of the GOAL: You score two points for converting a try. -> see also CONVERSION
con·vert2 /ˈkɒnvɜːt||ˈkɑːnvɜːrt/ n [(to)] a person who has been persuaded to accept a particular religion, political belief etc: a convert to Christianity | She's a recent convert to the idea of a European defence policy.
con·vert·er /kənˈvɜːtər||-ɜːr-/ n tech 1 a machine that converts things, especially a FURNACE in which steel is made by blowing air through melted iron 2 also convertor — an apparatus that changes the form or direction of something, especially one that changes the form in which information is written so that it can be accepted by a computer
con·ver·ti·ble1 /kənˈvɜːtɪbəl||-ɜːr-/ adj 1 [(into)] that can be converted: This bed is easily convertible into a sofa. 2 (of a car) having a roof that can be folded back 3 [(into)] a) (of some financial arrangements) that can be changed into something else: a convertible life insurance policy | convertible bonds (=which can be exchanged for SHARES (2)) b) (of a type of money) that can be freely exchanged for other types of money: The dollar is a convertible currency, but the rouble is not. —bility /kənˌvɜːtɪˈbɪləti||-ɜːr-/ n [U]
convertible2 n a car with a roof that can be folded back -> see also CABRIOLET
con·vex /ˈkɒnveks, . kən-||ˈkɑːn'veks, . kən-/ adj curved outwards, like the surface of the eye: a convex mirror/lens -> opposite CONCAVE; see picture at CONCAVE —ly adv —ity /kənˈveksəti/ n [C;U]
con·vey /kənˈveɪ/ v [T] 1 [(from, to)] rather fml to take or carry from one place to another: Your luggage will be conveyed by helicopter from the airport to your hotel. 2 [(to)] to make (feelings, ideas, thoughts etc) known: Our government's anger was conveyed to their ambassador. | His music conveys a sense of optimism. | He tried to convey how he felt. 3 [(to)] law to give the rights to (land or property) to someone
con·vey·ance /kənˈveɪəns/ n 1 [U] the act of conveying: the conveyance of goods by road 2 [C] fml a vehicle: a public conveyance 3 [C] law an official paper that CONVEYS the right to land or property
con·vey·anc·ing /kənˈveɪənsɪŋ/ n [U] the act or process of dealing with all the documents necessary for passing the ownership of property from one person to another: When I sold my last house, I was so fed up with lawyers that I did all my own conveyancing.
con·vey·er, -or /kənˈveɪər/ n 1 someone or something that conveys: the conveyer of good news 2 a CONVEYER BELT