Conns

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To direct or guide the movement or course of a vessel or vehicle; to exercise control over navigation or operation; the act of assuming command or steering a craft
2. Managing the steering or piloting of a ship or other means of transport; taking responsibility for maneuvering; the process of plotting and directing a route
3. Exercising authority over the course taken by a conveyance or vessel; controlling its direction or handling; directing its movement through navigation or command

Etymology: The word "conns" is the third-person singular form of "conn", a verb meaning to direct a ship's course from the helm. The verb is a variant of "cond", which came into Middle English as "conduen" or "condien" from Anglo-Norman "conduire", itself drawn from Latin "condūcere", "to lead, bring or draw together". The Latin prefix "con-" means "with" or "together", and "dūcere" means "to lead", so the root idea is simply leading things along with you. That same Latin verb also gave English "conduce", which is a doublet: two words from one source that entered English by different routes and took on different shapes. "Conduce" kept the sense of leading toward a result, as in one thing conducing to another, while "conn" narrowed to the business of steering a vessel. Sailors kept the older idea of guiding something along a path, and the sea gave it a single, specialised job.

Synonyms: connections, contacts, links, relationships, associations