Forms: 4–6 -cion, 4–5 -cioun(e, 5–6 -cyon, 6– conjuration. [a. late OF. conjuration, -acion, ad. L. conjūrātiōn-em: see CONJURISON, the earlier type.]
I. Banding together by oath, conspiracy.
† 1. A swearing together; a making of a league by a common oath; a banding together against a superior power; conspiracy. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. iv. 18. Canius … was accused by Gayus Cesar … þat he was knowyng and consentyng of a coniuracioun maked aȝeins hym.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Kings xi. 14. And sche [Athaliah] kytt hyre clothis, and cryede, Conjuracioun! conjuracioun!
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), D. The coniuracion, that Catilina inuented agaynste his countreye.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 298. He was first one of that coniuration which was called the Barons warre.
1657. Hawke, Killing is M., 46. Some nocturnal conjurations, and meetings of some malevolent persons.
1771. Goldsm., Hist. Eng. Lett., I. 156. A conjuration against the king’s life.
II. Constraining by oath, invoking of spirits, conjuring.
2. A solemn charging or calling upon by appeal to something sacred or binding; solemn appeal or entreaty, adjuration. arch. or Obs.
c. 1450. Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees), 2636. Cuthbert gretely was astonyd Of hir coniuracioun þat tyde.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., I. ii. 29. We charge you in the Name of God take heed … Vnder this Coniuration, speake my Lord.
1660. Shirley, Andromana, III. iii. Andr. By that love, by all those vows have pass’d Betwixt us, hear me. Plangus. O Heaven! is that a conjuration!
1796. Burke, Regic. Peace, i. Wks. VIII. 122. That season, however, invoked by so many vows, conjurations and prayers, did not come.
3. The effecting of something supernatural by the invocation of a sacred name or by the use of some spell; orig. the compelling of spirits or demons, by such means, to appear and do one’s bidding.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 233. Quhen fendis distrenȝit ar For till apper and mak ansuar, Throu force off coniuracioune.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 529. Thilke horrible sweryng of Adiuracion and coniuracion as doon thise false Enchauntours or Nigromanciens.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), II. 603. I trow he ys bewytchyd by sum coniuracion.
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 8. Sondrie persons … practised inuocations and coniuracions of spirites.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 76. Conjuration … seemeth by prayers and invocation upon the powerfull name of God, to compell the Devill to say or doe what hee commandeth.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 447/2. Simple people think that what … Juglers … do is through Conjuration and Witchcraft.
1793. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Ep. to Pope, Wks. 1812, III. 209. Full of negro-faith in conjuration.
1837. Macdougall, trans. Graah’s Exp. Greenland, 123. I have frequently been present on such occasions of conjuration.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 635. The word king was a word of conjuration. It was associated in the minds of many Englishmen with the idea of a mysterious character derived from above.
b. Applied opprobriously.
1563. Foxe, in Latimer’s Serm. & Rem. (1845), p. xviii. How the institution of holy water and holy bread not only had no ground in scripture, but also how full of profane exorcisms and conjurations they were.
1563. Homilies, II. Whitsunday, II. (1859), 463. They … think it [baptism] is not well nor orderly done, unless they use conjuration; unless they hallow the water.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., IV. xliv. 337. A … generall abuse of Scripture is the turning of Consecration into Conjuration.
4. A magical form of words used in conjuring; a magic spell, incantation, charm.
1398. Trevisa, Barth De P. R., XVIII. xcv. (1495), 842. The serpent stoppyth his eere for he woll not here the enchauntours coniuracions.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., IV. xix. 155. Oyle … saluted in thys maner; thrise Haile holy oyle: thrise Hayle holy chresme: thrise Hayle holy balme. Oute of whom haue they sucked such coniurations?
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, vii. (1596), 93. Wordes and coniurations, which make the diuell to tremble.
1831. Landor, Inez de Castro, Wks. 1846, II. 603. Those spells, Those conjurations, and those incantations.
5. transf. Performance of magical art or sleight of hand: conjuring. Also attrib.
a. 1734. North, Exam., III. vii. § 52 (1740), 541. Others, by the same Conjuration, were set out and launched for Protestants.
1826. Cobbett, Rur. Rides (1885), II. 101. Are these schemes to go before this conjuration Committee?
1846. Mill, Logic, II. ii. § 2. The notion that the investigation of truth consisted entirely or partly in some kind of conjuration or juggle with those names.
1884. Sir J. Bacon, in Law Times’ Rep., LI. 355/2. No conjuration can make any difference between them.
6. A conjuring-trick.
1820. Coleridge, Lett., Convers., etc., I. 88. A man ignorant of the law whence these conjurations [scientific experiments] proceeded.
1825. New Monthly Mag., XV. 12. The Christmas public may meet with a multiplicity of incomprehensible conjurations.
