CON 



242 



CON 



CON'SOXANT, from con, and sono, to 

 sound. A letter so named because it is 

 considered as sounded only in connection 

 with a vowel. Consonants are better 

 named articulations, as they are the 

 names given to the several junctions of 

 the organs of speech. 



CON SORDI'NI, It. In music, a direction 

 tc play a passage on the piano with the 

 dampers down, and on the violin with the 

 mute on. 



CONSPIR'ACY, from conspire, to plot. A 

 law-term for an agreement between two 

 or more persons to indict, or procure to 

 be indicted, an innocent person of felony. 

 The persons so conspiring are called con- 

 spirators. 



CON 'STABLE, an officer whose duty it is 

 to preserve the peace, and to arrest all 

 public offenders who have committed the 

 offence in his presence, or against whom 

 he has the warrant of a justice of the 

 peace. In England, there are high con- 

 stables, chosen by the court leets of hun- 

 dreds; petty constables, chosen by the juries 

 of court leets ; and constables of London, 

 nominated in each precinct by the inha- 

 bitants. The office of Lord High Con- 

 stable of England was so improperly 

 used, that its suppression was found ne- 

 cessary in 1521. This officer took his title 

 from his being comes stabuli, or count of 

 the stables. He was the seventh officer 

 of the crown. 



CONSTANT QUANTITIES. In algebra, those 

 quantities which remain constant, and 

 whose values are considered as known, or 

 which remain constantly the same ; in 

 contradistinction to those which are va- 

 riable, and whose values are not known. 

 Constant quantities are usually denoted 

 by the first letters of the alphabet, as a, 

 b, c, &c. ; and variable ones by the last, 

 asr, y, 2,&c. 



CONSTAT, a Latin word, meaning " it 

 appears." Applied as the name of the 

 certificate given by the clerk of the pipe, 

 and auditors of the exchequer, to a person 

 who intends to plead or move for a dis- 

 charge of anything in that court. The 

 effect of it is to show what appears upon 

 the record, respecting the matter in ques- 

 tion. The same name is also given to an 

 exemplification under the Great Seal of 

 the enrolment of any letters patent. 



CONSTELLA'TION, from con, and stella, a 

 star. A cluster or assemblage of fixed 

 stars, expressed and represented under 

 the name and figure of some animal, or 

 other emblem, which are convenient in 

 describing the stars. 



CONSTITU'TIOX, from con, and statuo,to 

 set. 1. The general condition of the 

 body, as evinced by the peculiarities in 



the performance of its functions. 2. A 



system of fundamental principles for the 

 goTermnent of rational and social beings ; 



the established form of government in a 



state, kingdom, or country. 3. A par 



ticular law made by a sovereign or other 

 superior power. 



CONSTRIC'TOR, from constrinrjo, to bind 

 together. A muscle which draws together 

 any opening of the body. 



CONSTRUCTION, from con, and stnio, to 

 dispose, fabrication. In mathematics, the 

 drawing of those lines of a figure which 

 are necessary to make the demonstration 

 of a proposition more plain. The con- 

 struction of equations is the method of re- 

 ducing equations to geometrical figures, 

 in order to a geometrical demonstration. 

 In grammar, the arrangement and con- 

 nection of words in a sentence, according 

 to established usages. 



CONSUBSTANIIA'TION, the doctrine of 

 Luther, that, in the sacrament of the 

 Supper, the body and blood of Christ are 

 transferred into the material of the bread 

 and wine. 



CON'SUL, a chief magistrate of the 

 ancient Roman Republic, who took his 

 title from consulo, to consult. The title is 

 now given to an officer appointed by com- 

 petent authority to reside in foreign coun- 

 tries, with the view of facilitating and 

 extending the commerce carried on be- 

 tween the subjects of the country which 

 appoints him, and those of the country or 

 place in which he is to reside. 



CONSULTA'TION, "\VRIT OF. In laic, a 

 writ granted by the king's court, whereby 

 a cause which had been removed into 

 such court by prohibition out of the 

 ecclesiastical court, is returned thither 

 again. 



CONSUMPTION, from consume, fo waste 

 away, slow decay. This term is applied 

 in medicine to the disease technically 

 called Phthisis pvlmonalis, pulmonary 

 consumption. See PHTHISIS. 



CON'TACT, ANGLE OF. In geometry, the 

 angle made by a curve line with its tan- 

 gent. 



CONTA'OION, from con, and tango, to 

 touch. The communication of disease, 

 1', by contact ; 2, by effluvia evolved from 

 the body of the sick. See INFECTION. 

 This term is also used by some writers 

 generically to denote all atmospheric and 

 morbid poisons ; all the effluvia, mias- 

 mata, infections, and poisons that cause 

 fevers, of whatever kind ; and those 

 poisons which uniformly excite the dis- 

 eases which give birth to them, as syphi- 

 lis, itch, &c. 



CONTEM'PT, from con, and temno, to de- 

 spise. Applied in law to express the 

 offence of disobedience of the rules and 

 orders of a court. 



CONTENT', from con, and teneo, to'hold. 

 Used in the House of Lords to express 



assent to a bill or motion. 2. The 



quantity contained. Used in geometry 



