v. [ad. L. confer-re to bring together, collect, gather, contribute, connect, join, consult together, bring together for joint examination, compare; also to confer, or bestow; f. con- together, and intensive + fer-re to bear, bring. F. conférer (14th c. in Littré) does not appear to have been taken into Eng.: hence the difference of stress between confe·r, defe·r, infe·r, and di·ffer, o·ffer, pro·ffer, su·ffer. Cf. COLLATE, formed on the ppl. stem of L. conferre.]
† 1. trans. To bring together, gather, collect; to add together. Obs.
1571. Homilies, II. Rebellion, VI. (1574), 613. To conferre theyr common forces, to the defence of theyr felowe Christians.
1590. Recorde, etc., Gr. Artes, 386. I did conferre their debts together, and found the debt of the first and the second to amount to 47 pound.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., XXII. 619. That all the handmaids she should first confer. Ibid. (1618), Hesiod, II. 29. All tooles … And … tacklings, to thy House confer.
† b. To include together, comprise, comprehend.
c. 1540. Pilgr. T., 727, in Thynne’s Animadv., App. i. 98. Under the coler of the wolfe Is conferyd al the stinking fuet—So the hunters call it whan they mak ther suet.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xxiv. (1660), 245. The skull is inwardly hollow, to the end that the braine … might be the more commodiously conferred therein.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, Pref. 70. The works of all being conferred and preserved there.
† c. fig. To bring (e.g., to mind, under one’s notice, etc.). Obs.
1586. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, I. (1625), 13. I conferre the regard thereof to my present imaginations. Ibid., 61. But what doe I conferre unto your view the notes of such and so many doubts and hazards.
† 2. To collect, give, or furnish as a contribution; to contribute. Const. to. Obs.
1538. Starkey, England, II. i. (1871), 176. To conferre euery yere a certayn summe … to the byldyng and reformyng of al such … placys.
1628. Hobbes, Thucyd., I. ix. (1822), 6. He himself hath conferred most ships to that action.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1810), I. 4. It confers somewhat to the need, convenience, or comfort of those … creatures.
† b. absol. To contribute (unto, to). Obs.
1528. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., I. App. xxiii. 46. Such things … as might conferre unto the same.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. ii. 64. The Compasse, declaring rather the ship is turned, then conferring unto its conversion.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 262. Those things which confer hereunto are to be esteemed Goods.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Ps. cxxxii. 16. The Priests do confer to the good of the State.
1703. T. N., City & C. Purch., 11. Addition of Distent will confer much to their Beauty.
3. trans. To give, grant, bestow, as a grace, or as the act of a qualified superior.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 12 § 8. No Title to conferr or present by Lapse, shall accrue upon any Depryvation ipso facto.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. v. Such honour thus conferr’d.
1717. Pope, in Lady M. W. Montague’s Lett., xxvi. The very favour you are then conferring.
1725. Berkeley, Proposal, Wks. III. 231. They have also the power of conferring Degrees in all Faculties.
1765–9. Blackstone, Comm. (1793), 505 The stile and title … which the king is pleased to confer.
1878. G. Macdonald, Phantastes, II. xviii. 69. Benefits conferred awaken love in some minds.
Mod. The ordinary degrees were then conferred.
† b. Const. to, unto, or dative; rarely into. Obs.
1542. Udall, trans. Erasm. Apoph., 254. The garlande murall, (whiche the … Capitain conferred to suche persone as … had firste scaled the walles).
1548. Gest, Pr. Masse, 84. It is ye sacramental mean wherwyth they be applied and conferred vnto us.
1598. Chapman, Iliad, II. 307. Jove bow’d his head … for sign we should confer These Trojans their due fate.
1654. R. Codrington, trans. Hist. Ivstine, 20. The Kingdom of the Persians … was conferred into the power of one.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warres, 593. To confer his right of Claym in that Kingdom to Philip.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 262. Virtue … confers us very little benefit.
c. Const. on, upon. (Cf. BESTOW v. 6. b.)
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 126. And confer faire Millaine With all the Honors, on my brother.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxx. 178. Those that have the Soveraign Power conferred on them.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 12. For the favour he had conferred upon him.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., i. (1889), 3. Why should we not make the public pay for the great benefits we confer on them?
d. with the subject a thing.
a. 1600. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., VI. vi. § 11. That sacraments contain and confer grace.
1809. J. Marshall, Const. Opin. (1839), 113. The incorporating act confers this jurisdiction.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xv. 102. That joy of heart which perfect health confers.
† 4. To bring into comparison, compare, collate. Const. usually with; also to, unto. Also absol. Obs.
(Exceedingly common from 1530 to 1650. The Latin abbreviation ‘cf.’ of confer = compare, is still in use.)
a. 1533. Frith, Disput. Purgat., Pref. (1829), 85. Let us ever confer them unto the pure word of God.
1544. Phaër, Regim. Lyfe (1560), S ij b. Conferrynge the boke and the herbe duly together.
1557. (title) The Newe Testament … Conferred diligently with the Greke, and best approued translations.
1586. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, II. (1625), 94. If they be conferred … to the life and joyes to come.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. iii. III. (1651), 326. Confer future and times past with present.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 479. Most of our party confer Irrational Creatures in general simply with Men.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), II. I. vii. 35. To confer occasionally, in order to see that his accounts agree.
† b. To confer notes: see COMPARE v.1 2 b. Obs.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. xiv. 300. Here Gentile and Jew confer their notes, and compare their intelligence together concerning Christ’s birth.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 177. All their informers assemble, and confer their notes together.
c. 1704. Swift, The Problem. The Ladies vanish in the smother To confer notes with one another.
† c. To put the sense together, construe. Obs.
1554. Philpot, Exam. & Writ. (Parker Soc.), 334. Where we say that the holy Church … may err, that is thus to be conferred, that it is possible some part of the Church for a time to be deceived.
† 5. intr. To agree, accord, conform (with, to).
1560. Frampton, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xx. 244. They asked me, whether I would confer with their religion … And I did confer with them in their religion.
1641. Vind. Smectymnuus, Pref. Churches that doe not conferre to Episcopall Government.
† b. trans. Obs.
1535. Goodly Primer, D iij. They that conferre theyr lyfe and workes to the signes of heuen.
6. intr. To converse, talk together; now always on an important subject, or on some stated question: to hold conference, take counsel, consult.
1545. in Lodge, Illust. Brit. Hist. (1791), I. 114. The Wardens, wt. whom I have conferred in that behalf, do say.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health, ccxli. (1636), 272. To conferre and talke with our friends of merry matters.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., V. ii. 102. They sit conferring by the Parler fire.
1666. Pepys, Diary (1879), VI. 26. Desirous that I would come … and confer with him about the Navy.
1726. Chetwood, Adv. Capt. Boyle, 226. I observ’d the Maid … conferring with a Country Fellow.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. VII. 51. A certain number … should meet, in order to confer upon the points in dispute.
1879. E. Garrett, House by Works, II. 38. The two girls conferred together, and Lydia accepted the offer.
b. fig.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 87. I would have you conferre wt your owne conscience.
1610. Bp. Hall, Apol. Brownists, Wks. (1614), 731. Consider, and conferre seriously.
† 7. trans. To discuss, talk over, consult about.
1552. T. Barnabe, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 145. II. 205. To com to hym and conferre certayne matters with hym.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Luke xxiv. 17. What are these communications that you conferre one with an other [1sermones quos confertis1]?
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 774. They … confer Thir State affairs.
1689. trans. Buchanan’s De Jure R., 2. Freedom of speaking and conferring the thoughts of the Heart.
