v. Sc. Obs. Also 6 -ys, -eas, 6–7 -ess, 7 -ise, -ish. [Exact formation doubtful: possibly f. CONQUESE sb.; or, like it, from the F. pa. pple. conquis, -ise (cf. comprise, compromise); but it may have been from the earlier pa. pple. CONQUEST, by treating the t as the native suffix and taking conques as the stem. Conquest was subseq. treated as its pa. pple. and pa. t. (as if = conques + t), and conformed to its variant spellings, as conqueist, -queast, -quist.]
1. trans. To get possession of, acquire as property, to gain, win.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab. (1571), 29. To conques worldly good.
1556. Lauder, Dewties of Kingis, 254. Rather than Conqueis gold in cartis.
c. 1565. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (1728), 18. Greedy to conquess greater rents to his posterity.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 26. Albeit the husband hes litill heritage, and hes conquessed thereafter many lands.
1633. W. Struther, True Happines, 9. In end they conquish vanitie of vanities.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 443. Our leel-come and lawfully conquessed joy.
a. 1653. Z. Boyd, in Zion’s Flowers (1855), Introd. 42. Man may conquise Lands to his Children.
2. To gain in war, conquer; to win (a battle); to vanquish.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 358. Bot Wallace thriss this kynrik conquest haile.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. v. 102. As victouris … To conquys Itale.
1549. Compl. Scot., x. 85. Thai haue intendit veyris contrar scotland, in hope to conques it.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 78. So shall England be conqueast within a year.
a. 1651. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), II. 521. When Hannibal went to conqueisse Italle.
Hence Conquessed ppl. a., Conquessing vbl. sb.
1549. Compl. Scot., Prol. 14. The conquessingis of realmis.
