v. Also 5 conwene, 6 conven, 6–7 convein(e, 6–8 conveen, 7 conveane. [a. F. conven-ir (pr. pple. conven-ant), in OF. also covenir, = Pr. covenir, convenir, Sp. convenir, It. convenire:—L. convenīre to come together, assemble, unite, agree, suit, fit, befit, f. con- together + venīre to come.]
I. To come or bring together.
1. intr. To come together; to assemble, or meet, esp. for a common purpose. a. of individuals.
Much more used in Scotland and U.S. than in England.
1429. in Rymer Fœdera, X. 430/2. (Scotch Doct.) It is Accorded that Four Persones of either Partie … shall convene and assemble togidder.
1528. Gardiner, in Pocock, Rec. Ref., I. li. 124. At which time we convened in the pope’s little chamber.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. 15. The Scottis convenit in Argyle; quhair the capitanes war devidit … concerning this battell.
1622. Bacon, Hen. VII., Wks. (Bohn), 446. The two princes convened and communed together in the suburbs of Calais.
1637–50. Row, Hist. Kirk (1842), p. xxiii. I appointit the nixt Fryday to our elderis to convein … I warnit all to convein on Setterday nixt to the sermon of preparation at the ordinar tyme.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., II. xxxvi. 48. They convene in a large Hall.
1760. H. Brooke, Fool of Quality (1792), v. 110. In the afternoon, all the town’s folk and neighbours … convened to the great house.
1787. Burns, Halloween, ii. Some merry, friendly, countra folks Together did convene.
1830. Scott, Demonol., x. 380. They convened within the premises of a tavern.
1871. Rossetti, Love’s Nocturn, i. Master of the murmuring courts Where the shapes of sleep convene!
b. of a collective body: To assemble for united action; to meet in a convention.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VII. xliv. 365. The States also conuening in a grand Councell at Oxford.
1671. True Nonconf., 152. That Council did conveen in the year 325.
1706. Maule, Hist. Picts, in Misc. Scot., I. 57. The chief city … where their chief courts of justice conveen.
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Wk. & Days, Wks. (Bohn), III. 71. Academies convene to settle the claims of the old schools.
1882. Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, IX. 427. The ‘Birlie Court’ of the landowner is said to have convened under its shadow.
c. transf. of things: To concur, occur together.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., Q iij b. The sygnes of lepry aswel equyuocalles as vnyuocalles and are the sygnes that conueneth onely in this dysease.
a. 1774. Fergusson, Cauler Water, Poems (1845), 22. The graces That aft conveen In gleefu’ looks, and bonnie faces.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., xii. 310. As events convene, he gradually develops into an unfeeling and selfish man of the world.
† d. To come together; to unite. Obs.
1667. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., 4. By guiding the first motions of the small parts of Matter, bring them to convene after the manner requisite to compose the World.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., vii. 216. Those dispersed Particles could never of themselves have conven’d into this present or any other like Frame of Heaven and Earth.
1738. Med. Ess. & Observ. (ed. 2), IV. 141. If the rays convene before the retina.
2. refl. in prec. sense.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., Q iij b. The equyuocal sygnes conueneth them in dyuers maladyes.
1585. Commend. Verses, in Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 10. Conveine your selfs (o sisters).
1638. Council Records, in Inverness Courier, 25 Oct. (1884), 3/4. The counsell … haifing convenit thaimselves.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IV. 337. All the Factious and Schismatical People … would frequently … convene themselves, by the sound of a Bell, or other token, in the Fields.
3. trans. To cause to come together; to convoke: a. individuals.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scotl. (1885), 226. The hail estates he conueinet till Edr.
1645. Slingsby, Diary (1836), 156. First he [Chas. I.] went to Abergeiny where he conven’d ye country gentlemen.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), II. IV. iv. 114. Mir Vais now conveened the chief men of his tribe.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, III. 257. With all due speed I will convene The Doctors of Theology.
1861. Stanley, East. Ch., vii. (1869), 226. Fifty Bishops of the neighbouring dioceses were convened.
b. a collective body, an assembly or meeting.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1843), 53/1. The parliament … was convened by his Majesty’s grace and inclination.
1703. Pope, Thebais, 274. Th’almighty Father of the Gods Convenes a council in the blest abodes.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., III. l. 123. They convened the assembly of the people.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, xxi. 367. The Senate was convened by the tribunes.
1885. Act 48–49 Vict., c. 54 § 5. The Archdeacon … shall … convene a meeting of the beneficed clergy.
4. To summon (a person) before a tribunal. In the University of Cambridge: To bring a student before the college court of discipline. (Not a statutable phrase.)
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. vi. 78. The Byschape Robert þat gud man, He conwenyd be-fore hym þan.
1640–1. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 35. Johne Gordoun … and George Levingstone … being baithe conveinit for committing ane ryot.
1660. Trial Regic., 105. I do wonder for what cause you do convene me here before you.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, III. ii. Tom was presently convened before Mr. Allworthy.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, xviii. Foker, whom the Proctor knew … was … summarily convened and sent down from the University.
1865. Hook, Athenæum, No. 1945. 154/3. Knapwell was convened before the Archbishop.
II. To agree, harmonize.
† 5. intr. Of persons: To come to agreement in purpose, opinion, or action; to agree. Obs.
1549. Compl. Scot., xiv. 116. His purpos vas … to conuen and accord vitht the said Kyng of meid contrar the greikis.
1568. Q. Mary, in H. Campbell, Love-lett. Mary Q. Scots, App. 29. They have convenit and accordit that my sone sould be deliverit in hir handis.
1637. R. Humphrey, trans. St. Ambrose, Pref. They all convene in this, that a young man … is an unfit hearer.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 270. The place of thy greatnesse is in us, and it behoveth us to convene in one.
† 6. To agree or accord in size, quality, or character; to be suitable or fitting. Convening to: conformable to, according to. Sc. Obs.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (1885), 62. Euerie foul [= fowl] conueining to the gretnes of the schel.
1600. J. Hamilton, Facile Traictise, 141 (Jam.). The halines of the doctrine conucinis not to the conuenticle of the Caluinistes.
1627. Bp. Forbes, Eubulus, 111 (Jam.). Barking can conveane but to living and sensitiue creatures.
† 7. trans. To bring into agreement; to harmonize, settle. Obs.
1521. St. Papers Hen. VIII., VI. 86. To Almygthy Gode, wych hath gevyn yow grace so to ordyr and conven your afferys, that ye be … the ruler of thys your Realme.
† 8. U.S. dial. To be convenient to; to suit, fit.
1816. J. Pickering, Voc. Words U.S., 70. Convene … is used in some parts of New England in a very strange sense…. Ex. This road will convene the public; i. e. will be convenient for the public. The word, however, is used only by the illiterate.
1837–40. Haliburton, Clockm. (1862), 78. Father … never confined himself to water neither, when he could get anything convened him better.
9. intr. To come together in harmony; to harmonize, fit each other.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 305. There are articles which the marriage-monger cannot make to convene at all, tempers … tastes, [etc.].
