Obs. [a. OF. conqueste-r (still in Cotgr.):—late L. type *conquæstāre, from conquæsītāre; also OF. conquister, -quiter, cf. It. conquistare, Sp. and Pg. conquistar, med.L. conquæst-, conquistāre:—L. type *conquīsītāre, freq. of conquīrĕre: see CONQUER, and cf. ACQUIST v.]
1. trans. To get possession of, acquire, gain.
[1292. Britton, IV. viii. § 1. Cist pleintif neqedent ne i purra rien conquestre [3 MSS. conquester, 2 conquere, 1 reconquere; transl. Yet the plaintiff cannot recover anything therein.]
1597. Jas. I., Dæmonol., II. i. That spirit whereby she [the ‘Pythonisse’] conquested such gain to her masters.
2. To gain in war, conquer; to gain (a battle); to vanquish, beat.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVI. 315. To conquest [v.r. conquer, ed. 1616 conquesse] the land all halely.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt. (1880), 160. They … shal come into spayne, for to conqueste the londes. Ibid. (c. 1489), Sonnes of Aymon, ix. 206. He conquested many bataylles.
1570. T. Preston, Cambyses, in Hazl., Dodsley, IV. 177. To conquest these fellows the man I will play.
1644. A. Trevor, Lett., in Carte, Ormonde (1735), III. 320. Who will give him occasion to conquest him too shortly.
