v. Forms: 3 cuncweari, 3–4 conquery, 4–5 -queren, -queryn, 4–6 -quere, (-qwere, -queere), conquyr, 5–6 conquire, (6 quonquer), 4– conquer. [ME. cuncwear-i, conquer-e(n, a. OF. cunquer-re, conquer-re = Pr. conquerre, It. conquidere:—L. conquærĕre, conquīr-ĕre to seek for, search for, procure, whence the later sense ‘to procure by effort, gain, win, conquer,’ f. con- expressing completion + quærĕre to seek. The OF. form represented a late L. conquærĕre, conformed (as usual in popular L.) to the simple quærĕre; variation of conjugation in Romanic produced Pr. conquerer, 16th c. F. conquerer, and OF., Pr., Sp. conquerir, mod.F. conquérir.]
For the sense-development cf. note to CONQUEST.
I. To acquire (by effort).
† 1. trans. To acquire, succeed in gaining, get possession of (by effort); to win, gain, attain to.
[1292. Britton, VI. ii. § 12. Le einznee … le conquera par bref de dreit. transl. The eldest shall obtain it by a writ of right.]
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 33. Þat luueð hire were wel & habbes his laððe, oðer cuncweari his luue o-þulliche wise.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1632. I [Belshazzar] fayn wolde Wyt þe wytte of þe wryt, þat on þe wowe clyues … If þou with quayntyse conquere hit, I quyte þe þy mede.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 183. Bi þis falsnesse a fewe pore wrecchis myȝten conqueren in-to here owene hondis … almost al þe lordischipe þat may be sold.
c. 1475. Partenay, 1450. Helth neuer shal I not conquere.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., xxiii. 21. Brenne had … in fraunce … conquerd a grete lordship thurgh maryage.
1552. Huloet, Conquyre or get, adquiro, conquiro.
II. To acquire by force of arms.
2. To acquire by fighting, win in war; to make a warlike conquest of; to subjugate. [So in OF. 11th c., Chanson de Roland.]
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 82. Constance … conquerede of Spayne Þe truage.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 25. He … ferde ouer þe see, & conquerd Normandie; Duke þan was he cald, þorh conquest of hond.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 8969. Alexander the gret kyng Þat conquerd Affryk, Europe and Asy.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 585, Cleopatra. To conqueryn [v.r. conqueren] regnys & honour.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., xxxix. 27. Claudius come in to this land for to conquere the truage thurgh strength.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxxxiii. 258. My cuppe, & horne, & harnes, ye whiche Huon conqueryd of ye Gyaunt Angolaffer.
1570. in Lodge, Illust. Brit. Hist. (1791), II. 47. Land to be quonquered by the Scottes.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 391. By conquering this new world.
1845. S. Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., II. 295. But they first determined jointly to conquer Lombardy.
b. Const. from (formerly upon, on) the loser. [OF. conquerre une chose sur quelqu’un.]
1475. Bk. Noblesse (1860), 7. To conquere straunge countrees as king Alexandre conquerid uppon the Romayne.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., xxi. Helpe and socour for to conquer al the londe upon Belyn.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxviii. [ccxiv.] 673. They were conquered vpon the turkes, and tourned perforce to the crysten faythe.
1726–31. Tindal, Rapin’s Hist. Eng., XVII. (1743), II. 54. Calais and the other places in Picardy conquered upon the English.
† c. Const. to, into the hands of (a person). Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 55. Þe arke or couere of god was conquerid in-to enemyes hondis. Ibid., 63. Þus alle men ben conquerid to þe fend almost.
d. To gain honor, a name, peace, etc., in war.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 397. The gude … held the stour To conquyr thaim endles honour.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 33. For to conquere a name in armes.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. clxix. [clxv.] 477. Yonge and lusty, and lykely to conquere honour.
1842. Alison, Hist. Europe (ed. 8), X. lxx. § 42. 540. At all hazards we must conquer a maritime peace.
† 3. To gain, or win (a battle, a victory). Obs. [So OF. conquerre une bataille.]
c. 1475. Partenay, 4319. Er the victory be conquere[d] and gette.
1557. North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 123a/1. The greate battayles they haue conquered.
4. fig. To gain or win by a struggle in which opposition or obstruction is overcome. [In OF. 12th c.]
1676. Hale, Contempl., I. 75. Here was Love and Goodness … sufficient to conquer our hearts into admiration and Astonishment.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Conquer … to gain or win Peoples Hearts or Affections.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, xxxv. (1878), 319. Conquer his daily bread by the threats of his dragoman.
1881. Pall Mall G., 25 Feb., 3/2. Nationalities striving to conquer their independence.
1884. 19th Cent., Dec., 1020. He was left to conquer for himself the education he was determined to have.
III. To overcome by force.
5. To overcome (an adversary), gain the victory over, vanquish, subdue. [So in OF. 12th c.]
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2233 (Cott.). Godd we sal conquer wit fight.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 37. The hardy quene Of Cithea that he conquerd had.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 330. Hou lyȝtly myȝt antecrist conqwere þe churche.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3096. Quatt suld a knyght more Couett ben conquer hys foes.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 332. If we be conquered, let men conquer vs, And not these bastard Britaines.
1767. A. Young, Farmer’s Lett. to People, 195. A northern nation possessing iron, has ever conquered southern ones that roll on gold.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Race, Wks. (Bohn), II. 24. The Germans, whom the Romans found hard to conquer in two hundred and ten years.
6. transf. and fig. To get the better of; to master, overcome.
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthen. (1676), 583. We had already so far conquer’d our voyage, that we were come to the top of … Taurus.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., I. i. § 17. Their necessities kept them in continuall employment; and after that they conquered them, they [etc.].
1732. Pope, Ep. Bathurst, 154. The ruling Passion, be it what it will, The ruling Passion conquers Reason still.
1755–73. Johnson, To surmount; to overcome: as, he conquered his reluctance.
1780. Cowper, Table-T., 523. Like a proud swan, conquering the stream by force.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Vall., iii. 44. To conquer the shyness she felt coming on.
1872. Ruskin, Eagle’s N., i. 3. If they had completely conquered the old habit.
IV. 7. absol. and intr. To be the conqueror, make conquests, gain the victory, be victorious. Formerly construed with upon, of (= from), on. [In OF. 11th c.]
c. 1300. K. Alis., 4875. And evermore hy beth werrende And upon other conquerrende.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 251. A kyng þat conquereþ of hys enemyes.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xciii. [lxxxix.] 280. We thought we conquered greatly on them whan we had of their money.
1526–34. Tindale, Rev. vi. 2. He went forth conqueringe and forto overcome [1611 hee went foorth conquering, and to conquere].
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 150. Arme, fight, and conquer, for faire Englands sake.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., King & No K., I. i. Trust me Tigranes, she can do as much In peace, as I in war; she’ll conquer too.
1773. Goldsm. (title), She Stoops to Conquer.
1843. Prescott, Mexico, VII. v. (1864), 457. Cortez … did not conquer from the mere ambition of conquest.
