v. [ad. L. connīvē-re (in cl. period cōnīvēre) to shut the eyes, blink, wink, be dull or drowsy, shut the eyes to crime or wrong, f. con- together + a primitive *nīvēre not found, but app. related to nicĕre to make a sign, nictāre to wink, twinkle the eyelids; cf. F. conniver in same sense, 16th c. in Littré.]
1. intr. To shut one’s eyes to a thing that one dislikes but cannot help, to pretend ignorance, to take no notice. Const. at. arch.
1602. Carew, Cornwall (1811), 412. By means of those villains … the opinion was so rivetted … that his Lordship must at least connive at it.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler (1843), 9. They must connive in some cases, but may not concede in any.
1718. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., II. xlix. 64. The grand-signeir connives at the loss of these dominions, for fear of losing even the titles of them.
1732. Fielding, Mod. Husb., Epil. Husbands most faults, not publick made, connive at; The trip’s a trifle—when the frailty’s private.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 389. While the Whig party was still formidable, the government thought it expedient occasionally to connive at the violation of this rule.
† b. To shut one’s eyes to the faults of, look indulgently at or on. Obs.
1629. Massinger, Picture, III. ii. Pray you, connive On my weak tenderness.
1646. F. Hawkins, Youth’s Behav. (1663), To Rdr. Gentle Youth, think it not amiss to peruse this Piece, yet connive at the style; for it hath need thereof.
2. To shut one’s eyes to an action that one ought to oppose, but which one covertly sympathizes with; to wink at, be secretly privy or accessory. (The ordinary sense.)
1632. Brome, Novella, V. Wks. 1873. I. 162. If you receive the Duccats … pray bring our shares, Wee all connive you know.
1667. Decay Chr. Piety (J.). The licentiousness of inferiours, and the remissness of superiours, the one violates and the other connives.
a. 1720. Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.), Wks. (1753), II. 151. He judges, as all Rome did, that I conniv’d at his death.
1765. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Col. Mass., i. 4. He promised to connive.
1840. Macaulay, Clive, 70. To connive at abuses while pretending to remove them.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., xv. (1880), 262. The maritime population … actively connived at their escape.
† 3. To wink at (offenders); to look at (a person) with secret sympathy or indulgence. Obs.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iii. 691. Sure the Gods doe this yeere conniue at vs, and we may doe any thing extempore.
1640. Order Ho. Com., in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1692), III. I. 53. Accused for Releasing and Conniving at Popish Priests.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. v. § 53. Malefactours protected by the Citizens of Oxford, who … connived at offenders who had done mischiefs to the Scholars.
1749. Chesterf., Lett., 21 Aug. (1774), II. 200. You must renounce courts, if you will not connive at knaves and tolerate fools.
b. To have a covert understanding with (a person); to take part or cooperate with privily.
1797. E. M. Lomax, in Philanthrope, No. 28. 222. He will be so vain and conceited as to connive with you.
1831. Scott, Cast. Dang., ii. Dost thou connive with the wolves in robbing thine own fold?
1850. Mrs. Browning, Poems, I. 6. Who acts, connives With God’s relations set in time and space.
† 4. To shut one’s eyes from neglect, to neglect to look at, disregard, leave unnoticed. Obs.
a. 1635. Naunton, Fragm. Reg. (Arb.), 24. An ancient Law … lay long covered in the embers of division between the Houses of York and Lancaster, and forgotten or connived at by the succeeding Princes.
† 5. To remain dormant or inactive. Obs. rare. (So in L.) Cf. CONNIVENT 2.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 624. I suffer them to enter … and conniving seem To gratifie my scornful Enemies. Ibid. (1671), Samson, 465. He, be sure, Will not connive, or linger, thus provoked, But will arise and his great name assert.
† 6. To dispense covertly with. Obs. rare.
1623. Abp. Williams, in Hacket, Life, I. 178. Those Statutes … are all … in full force, and in Free Execution. Nor were they ever intended to be connived with in the least Syllable.
† 7. trans. To wink at, overlook, tacitly permit, pass over (a fault or offence). Obs.
c. 1608. Hieron, Discov. Hypocr., Ep. Ded. If your Lordship shall please … to conniue my presuming. Ibid. (1617), Wks., II. 154. So God conniueth many weakenesses in His deare children.
1643. Milton, Divorce, Ded. (1851), 7. Divorces were not conniv’d only, but with open eye allow’d of old for hardnesse of heart.
† 8. intr. To wink (lit. but with allusion to sense 1). Obs. nonce-use.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 305, ¶ 10. This Artist is to teach them how to nod judiciously, to shrug up their shoulders in a dubious case, to connive with either Eye.
9. Nat. Hist. To be CONNIVENT (q.v.). rare.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 120. Petals the same number, conniving at the base, or even cohering.
