[f. L. excōgitāt- ppl. stem of excōgitāre to find out by thinking, f. ex- out + cōgitāre to think: see COGITATE.]
1. trans. To think out; to construct, frame or develop in thought; to contrive, devise. Also with inf. or sentence as obj.
c. 1530. H. Dowes, in Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 39. I have endeavoured myself … to excogitate how I might most profit him.
1546. Langley, Pol. Verg. De Invent., I. vi. 12 b. Plinie saieth he euer thought yt the Assirians Excogitated the letters, which Cadmus brought out of Phenice into Grece.
1647. Lilly, Chr. Astrol., clxxii. 734. The Ancients have excogitated many and sundry wayes for to find out the true time.
1665. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), III. 167. Dr. Wilkins, Sir Wm. Petty, and Mr. Hooke, with our operator … are excogitating new rigging for ships.
1836–7. Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph., xx. (1870), II. 4. We here excogitate no new, no occult principle.
1868. Browning, Ring & Bk., III. 712. He … did at last excogitate How he might keep the good and leave the bad.
absol. 1814. Chalmers, Evid. Chr. Revel., viii. 214. He ceases to observe, and begins to presume, or excogitate.
¶ 2. intr. = COGITATE.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Wks., II. xxxvi. 266/1. When thereon I doe excogitate, Intrinsicall and querimonious paines Doe puluerise the concaue of my braines.
