Obs. Also 7 -ist. [Form-history doubtful: it may have directly represented med.L. conquæstus, -quistus, pa. pple. of conquærĕre, -quīrĕre (see CONQUER); but more prob. it was a shortening of conquested, pa. pple. of CONQUEST v. (cf. lighted, lit, committed, commit, etc.); this is corroborated by the occurrence of the same form as pa. t.
In Sc. conquest was analysed as conques + t, and treated as pa. pple. and pa. t. of CONQUES v., beside conquess-ed, -it. In this capacity it was also spelt conqueist, -queast, -quist, by conformation to the vb., under which these forms will be found.]
1. Acquired, gained, received in possession. Sc.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 325. To haf in heritage … als a propire þing þat were conquest tille him.
1567. Abp. Beatoun, in H. Campbell, Love-lett. Mary Q. Scots (1824), 222. That reputation in all godliness ȝe have conquist of lang.
a. 1670. Sir J. Scot, Staggering State, 124, in Maidment, Sc. Pasquils (1868), 79. Sir John Hay … has … never conquest any land but a poor piece in Galloway.
2. Conquered in war; vanquished, overcome.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1305. Nov he þe kyng hatz conquest & þe kyth wunnen.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., c. Ȝe have ȝour man with his gude will conquest [rhyme rest].
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 1201. Tyll y have thys londe conqueste [rhyme best].
a. 1500. Chaucer’s Dreme, 1661. They were lightly conquest And prayed to a poore feast.
1549. Compl. Scot., i. 19. The diuyne sapiens … causis conqueriours to be conquest.
