a. Also 9 conate. [ad. L. connāt-us born together, twin, pa. pple. of connāscī to be born together, f. con- together + nāscī to be born. (Walker, Smart, and other orthoepists have the stress conna·te; co·nnate is in Craig, 1847.)]
1. Born with a person; existing in a person or thing from birth or origin, or as a part of his nature; inborn, innate, congenital. Usually of ideas, principles, etc.)
a. 1652. J. Smith, Sel. Disc., IV. 117. He disputes against Plato’s connate species.
1656. Artif. Handsom., 82. Epidemicall and connate, or at least customary to all nations.
1692. South, Serm. (1697), I. 60. Who deny all Connate Notions in the Speculative Intellect.
1704. Newton, Opticks (J.). Their dispositions to be reflected … are connate with the rays, and immutable.
1771. Richardson, in Phil. Trans., LXI. 187. These various coverings are not connate with the insect.
1879. Lewes, Study Psychol., 32. To a great extent the Mechanism is connate, Experience is acquired.
2. Of two or more qualities, etc.: Born together; coeval in origin; existing together as parts of the nature of their possessor.
1819. Southey, in Q. Rev., XXII. 63. These men partook more of roguery than fanaticism—qualities which are frequently connate.
1849. Fraser’s Mag., XXXIX. 718. On her … forehead … thought and feeling seemed conate.
1872. H. Spencer, Princ. Psychol., I. III. viii. 356. The ability to perceive direction, and the ability to take advantage of the perception, are necessarily connate.
3. Akin or agreeing in nature; cognate, allied, related, congenerous; congenial.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., III. 170. They play and sport together. A thing so true a symbole of deerenesse, and alwaies so connate thereunto.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. ix. 33. Light, if there be any Connate Spirit in the Lucid Body, is apt to convey the Radiation.
1836. Emerson, Nature, Wks. (Bohn), II. 143. In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets and villages.
4. Bot. and Zool. Congenitally united, so as to have the form of one compound organ or body; used, e.g., of leaves united at the base; of elytra (in insects), bones (in vertebrates), etc., typically distinct but in certain species coalescent.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xvi. 204. Upper pairs of leaves connate, or so joined as to form but one.
1826. Kirby & Sp., Entomol. (1828), III. xxxv. 596. In apterous beetles the elytra are often connate or have both sutures as it were soldered together.
1835. Kirby, Hab. & Inst. Anim., II. xvi. 64. Under-lip connate with the maxillæ.
1854. Owen, Skel. & Teeth (1855), 16. In the skeletons of most animals the centrums of two or more segments become, in certain parts … confluent, or they may be connate.
1870. Hooker, Stud. Flora, 175. Honeysuckle … Bracts leafy, very large, connate.
b. Connate-perfoliate (in Bot.): used of opposite leaves united at the base so as apparently to form a single broad leaf through which the stem passes, as in Chlora perfoliata.
1880. Gray, Struct. Bot., iii § 4. 108.
Hence Connately adv., in a connate way; † Connateness, quality of being connate.
a. 1652. J. Smith, Sel. Disc., VI. xi. (1821), 287. By its own connateness and sympathy with all saving truth.
