Forms: α. 5–6 conduyt(e, -dute, 6 -duit(e. β. 4–5 -dyte, 5 -dite, 6 -dyth. γ. 5–6 -ducte, 6– conduct. Pa. pple. -ed; formerly CONDUCT: see prec.
[Of this, as of CONDUCT sb., two (or, at length, three) types have been in use: viz. conduyt-en, f. F. conduit, -ite (:—L. conduct-us, -a), pa. pple. of condui-re:—L. condūcĕre (see CONDUCE); often phonetically reduced to condute, and to condite, condyte, condyth, condeth; but finally, in 15–16th c., assimilated to the L. ppl. stem as conduct. The ultimate forms of these were so different, that they might be considered distinct words; for the sake of the history they are here treated together. There are several other representatives of L. condūcĕre, immediately, or through French, for which see CONDUCE v.]
I. To lead, guide.
1. trans. To go with, or before, and show the way to (any one); to lead, escort, guide.
α. 1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 34. The kyng and hys companye … folowed the byrde whyche conduyted them.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xx. 58. I shall go with hym to ayde and to condute hym.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., III. They were at last conduited to Baia.
β. c. 1400. Maundev. (Cott.), viii. (1839), 82. To condyte me fro cytee to cytee.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 8631. He you condite, my swete fere.
1521. Fisher, Wks., 315. Moyses and Aaron to condyth that people thurgh the deserte.
γ. 1490. Caxton, Eneydos, vi. 29. To brynge and conducte you in to some other place of surete.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 134. The sterre … conductynge and leadyng them to the sauyour.
1611. Bible, Acts xvii. 15. They that conducted Paul, brought him vnto Athens.
1727. Swift, Gulliver, III. ii. 184. As they conducted me up the stairs.
1816. J. Wilson, City of Plague, III. i. 357. Let us conduct him home.
1862. Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xiii. 263. I know not where we shall find a better guide to conduct us.
b. transf. Of a road: To be the way, to ‘lead.’
1834. Medwin, Angler in Wales, I. 263. Traces of paws … in four different directions … conducted to the lairs of as many lions. Ibid., II. 178. A narrow corridor … conducted to another anti-cavern.
1838. Lytton, Alice, I. ix. The narrow sweep that conducted from the lodge to the house.
2. fig. To guide or direct in a certain course of action; to bring to a place, a particular condition or situation, a conclusion, etc.; to lead, bring.
α. 1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. xiv. 47. Yf he wille iustely and rightfully conduyte hym selfe, he may well brynge his herte to that. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 366/3. That yu may conduyte us to the lyf permanable.
c. 1550. Croke, Ps. cxliii. (Percy Soc.), 27. Let thyne ears perceyue my sute … And yn thy iustice me Condute.
1557. Sarum Primer, G iv. Thy good spirite shall conduite me into the lande of rightfulness.
γ. 1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretarie, I. (1625), 24. I have under taken to conduct the learner by example, how to behave himselfe.
1638. Rouse, Heav. Univ. (1702), 166. A Soul taught by Christ and highly conducted by the light of his spirit.
1734. trans. Rollin’s Anc. Hist. (1827), I. 72. Such as curiosity or idleness conducted to look on.
1770. Junius Lett., xxxvi. 173. Consider the situations to which you have conducted … your royal master.
1876. J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk., I. Pref. 12. Such a work … may seem without meaning, unless it conducts the reader to some definite conclusions.
b. absol.
1835. Browning, Paracelsus, III. Wks. I. 132. A few Prime principles which may conduct to much.
1850. McCosh, Div. Govt., II. i. (1874), 86. The skill and benevolence shown … conduct to the belief in a skilful and benevolent cause.
† 3. To train, guide (plants). Obs. rare.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 92. All the facons of vignes and trees hyly conduyted by compas.
1764. Harmer, Observ., XI. iii. 103. Neither he nor any other traveller … speaks of the conducting vines along the sides of their houses.
II. To lead, command, direct, manage.
4. To lead, command, act as commander of (an army, etc.).
β. c. 1450. Merlin, 576. The kynge Clarion … hem did condite with a baner as white as snowe, ther-in a reade cross.
γ. 1531. [see CONDUCTING vbl. sb.].
1605. Shaks., Lear, IV. ii. 16. Hasten his Musters, and conduct his powres.
a. 1714. Burnet, Own Time (1823), I. 574. The town of Amsterdam was for many years conducted by him as by a dictator.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer. (T.). Cortes himself conducted the third and smallest division.
1830. D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. viii. 163. When Lord-High-Admiral he conducted the navy of England without glory.
5. a. Mus. To direct (an orchestra, or a musical performance); see CONDUCTOR 5. Also absol.
1791. Gentl. Mag., LXI. II. 669. Haydn’s new overture, conducted by himself.
1834. Earl Mount Edgecumbe, Mus. Remin. (ed. 4), 6. At Bath … for many years he conducted the concerts.
Mod. There was a performance of Dr. Parry’s Oratorio Judith; the composer conducted.
b. To lead, take the leading part in, preside over and direct (a meeting, divine service, etc.).
1839. in Life Jas. Hamilton, iii. (1870), 130. He conducted family worship.
1856. J. L. Diman, Lett. to Emily G. Stimson, in Caroline Hazard, Mem. J. L. Diman (1887), vi. 110. I have had a pretty busy day, and have preached twice, conducted a third service this evening, [etc.].
c. To act as conductor of (an omnibus, etc.).
6. To direct, manage, carry on (a transaction, process, business, institution, legal case, etc.).
The notion of direction or leadership is often obscured or lost; e.g., an investigation is conducted by all those who take part in it.
1632. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 28. The Admirall (who had fore-thought of the manner of conducting this enterprise) had … furnished his companions with Iavelings.
1751. Labelye, Westm. Br., 108. The promoting, forwarding, and well conducting the Building of Westminster Bridge.
1758. S. Hayward, Serm., xvii. 528. To conduct every circumstance so as to prevent the designs of Satan from taking effect.
1801. Med. Jrnl., V. 433. Conducting the Vaccine Inoculation with spirit and perseverance throughout the navy. Ibid. (1806), XV. 245. The plan on which the generality of county hospitals … are conducted.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Manch. Strike, vii. 80. Conducting the correspondence and accounts.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 168. The difficulties of conducting the bullion traffic.
1883. M. D. Osbaldeston, in Law Times, 20 Oct., 410/2. To deprive the suitor of the right of conducting his case as he thinks [best].
† b. absol. Obs.
1677. Govt. Venice, 144. This Office … being a step to greater Preferment, if they know how to Conduct.
† 7. To manage, treat, deal with (the features or various details of a work of art); to carry on, carry out (the work as a whole), esp. with reference to the skill or success with which this is done. Obs.
1662. Evelyn, Chalcogr. (1769), 46. His Armed Cavalier … in which the brightness and lustre of the armour and horse is rarely conducted.
1730. A. Gordon, Maffei’s Amphith., 232. The upper ornamented Part so elegant, and well conducted.
1776. Sir J. Hawkins, Hist. Mus., V. 177. A point, or subject of a fugue, which the performer was to conduct at his pleasure.
1796. Pegge, Anonym. (1809), 159. Mr. Dryden used to say, he received more light from him [De la Rue] in conducting his translation than any other.
1823. De Quincey, Lett. Educ., ii. (1860), 24. The tools with which the workmanship is to be conducted.
8. refl. To direct one’s actions, comport oneself, behave oneself (in a specified way).
[Cf. F. se conduire used by Corneille, Cinna, 1639. This use is not recorded by Johnson, Todd, or Richardson.]
1706–10. M. Henry, Exp. Gen. xlii. 38. It is bad with a family, when children conduct themselves so ill, that their parents know not how to trust them.
1742. W. Melmoth, in Fitsosborne’s Lett. (1820), I. 13. With what a generous tenderness did the British hero conduct himself.
1755. Johnson, Dict., Behave v. n., To act, to conduct oneself. [Not s.v. Conduct.]
1815. Wellington, 19 June, in Gurw., Disp., XII. 483. The army never … conducted itself better.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. ii. 154. The emperor … had hitherto conducted himself with the greatest address.
1880. ‘Ouida,’ Moths, I. 124. No Spanish or Italian heroine … could conduct herself more audaciously.
b. intr. (for refl.) Cf. to behave. (U.S.)
[Called by Bartlett ‘an offensive barbarism, happily confined to New England.’]
1754. Edwards, Freed. Will, V. 27, foot-n. I say not only doing but conducting; because a voluntary forbearing to do, sitting still, keeping silence, &c. are Instances of Persons’ Conduct.
1809. Kendall, Trav., I. v. 40. It has an effect to render permanent the seats of those who conduct well.
1838. Sparks, Biog., IX. xi. 316. Mr. Farquhar conducted with manly firmness.
1854. J. S. C. Abbott, Napoleon (1855), I. xxv. 401. The First Consul, on this occasion, conducted with perfect good faith.
III. To convey; to be a channel for.
9. † a. To convey from one place to another; to carry, transport Obs. b. To convey water, or other moving body by a channel; also predicated of the channel.
α. c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., IX. 175. Make … pipes it [the water] to conduyt.
β. c. 1450. Merlin, xiii. 194. Theire squyers were gon before with the cariage … and lete it be condited by men of the same contrey.
γ. 1535. Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 3. Fisher men … vse commonly to conducte and conuey their hearing sprottes and other fyshe to … Kyngstone.
1808. J. Webster, Nat. Phil., 115. They conducted water across hills and vallies.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Brooke Farm, v. 58. Air would be conducted into the recesses of the groves.
c. Physics. Of a body: To convey through its particles (some form of energy, as heat or electricity); to transmit, act as a conductor of, serve as a channel or vehicle for.
1740. Desaguliers, in Phil. Trans., XLI. 640. In order to conduct Electricity along any non-electric Body.
1770. J. L. Winn, ibid., LX. 188. A chain so disposed may conduct the lightening.
1830. Brande, Chem., I. 68. Glass is a non-conductor when cold, but conducts when red hot.
1830. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., II. vi. (1851), 161. Those polished substances are found to be most strongly dewed which conduct heat worst.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. ii. 240. When these motions are communicated from particle to particle of the body the heat is said to be conducted.
IV. Obs. senses = CONDUCE.
† 10. To hire, engage for reward; = CONDUCE 2. Obs. [L. conducere.]
1476–1526. [see CONDUCT ppl. a. 1].
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 8. The Duke … conducted and waged certeyne menne of warre and shippes and … sailed into England.
1555. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xlvii. 143. They are … in some part of their depositions … conducted, subornate, instructed.
† 11. = CONDUCE 5. Obs. rare.
1685. P. Henry, in Diaries & Lett. (1882), 337. Make a business of fixing somewhere, so as may best conduct to your great end in going.
