Convert

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: con=vert

CIDE DICTIONARY

Convert, v. t. [L. convertere, -versum; con- + vertere to turn: cf. F. convertir. See Verse.].

•  To cause to turn; to turn.  [1913 Webster]

  "O, which way shall I first convert myself?"  [1913 Webster]
•  To change or turn from one state or condition to another; to alter in form, substance, or quality; to transform; to transmute; as, to convert water into ice.  [1913 Webster]

  "If the whole atmosphere were converted into water."  [1913 Webster]

  "That still lessens
  The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy."  [1913 Webster]
•  To change or turn from one belief or course to another, as from one religion to another or from one party or sect to another.  [1913 Webster]

  "No attempt was made to convert the Moslems."  [1913 Webster]
•  To produce the spiritual change called conversion in (any one); to turn from a bad life to a good one; to change the heart and moral character of (any one) from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness.  [1913 Webster]

  "He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death."  [1913 Webster]
•  To apply to any use by a diversion from the proper or intended use; to appropriate dishonestly or illegally.  [1913 Webster]

  "When a bystander took a coin to get it changed, and converted it, [it was] held no larceny."  [1913 Webster]
•  To exchange for some specified equivalent; as, to convert goods into money.  [1913 Webster]
•  To change (one proposition) into another, so that what was the subject of the first becomes the predicate of the second.  [1913 Webster]
•  To turn into another language; to translate.  [1913 Webster]

  "Which story . . . Catullus more elegantly converted."  [1913 Webster]

Converted guns, cast-iron guns lined with wrought-iron or steel tubes. Farrow. -- Converting furnace (Steel Manuf.), a furnace in which wrought iron is converted into steel by cementation.

Syn. -- To change; turn; transmute; appropriate.

Convert, v. i. 

 To be turned or changed in character or direction; to undergo a change, physically or morally.  [1913 Webster]
"If Nebo had had the preaching that thou hast, they [the Neboites] would have converted."  [1913 Webster]
"A red dust which converth into worms."  [1913 Webster]
"The public hope
And eye to thee converting."  [1913 Webster]

Convert, n. 

•  A person who is converted from one opinion or practice to another; a person who is won over to, or heartily embraces, a creed, religious system, or party, in which he has not previously believed; especially, one who turns from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness, or from unbelief to Christianity.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Jesuits did not persuade the converts to lay aside the use of images."  [1913 Webster]
•  A lay friar or brother, permitted to enter a monastery for the service of the house, but without orders, and not allowed to sing in the choir.

Syn. -- Proselyte; neophyte.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Convert, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. (usu. foll. by into) change in form, character, or function.
2 tr. cause (a person) to change beliefs, opinion, party, etc.
3 tr. change (moneys, stocks, units in which a quantity is expressed, etc.) into others of a different kind.
4 tr. make structural alterations in (a building) to serve a new purpose.
5 tr. (also absol.) a Rugby Football score extra points from (a try) by a successful kick at goal. b Amer. Football complete (a touchdown) by kicking a goal or crossing the goal-line.
6 intr. be converted or convertible (the sofa converts into a bed).
7 tr. Logic interchange the terms of (a proposition).
--n. (often foll. by to) a person who has been converted to a different belief, opinion, etc.

Idiom

convert to one's own use wrongfully make use of (another's property).

Etymology

ME f. OF convertir ult. f. L convertere convers- turn about (as COM-, vertere turn)

THESAURUS

Convert

Christian, God-fearing man, abuse, accepter, accommodate, actuate, adapt, adjust, alter, ameliorate, apostate, apostle, apply, assimilate to, assure, backslider, be convincing, become, befoul, believer, bend, better, bias, bolter, break up, bring, bring home to, bring over, bring round, bring to, bring to reason, budge, carry conviction, carve, catechumen, change, change into, change over, chisel, churchgoer, churchite, churchman, clear the trade, close out, collaborationist, collaborator, communicant, commute, convict, convince, cultivate, daily communicant, debase, defalcate, defector, defile, deform, denature, desecrate, deserter, devotee, devotionalist, disciple, diversify, divert, do over, drive home to, dump, embezzle, employ, evert, extract, fabricate, fanatic, fifth columnist, fit, follower, forge, foul, give salvation, good Christian, grow, harvest, impel, improve, incline, inspire belief, introvert, intussuscept, invaginate, inverse, invert, lead, lead to believe, liquidate, machine, make, make over, maladminister, manufacture, meliorate, metamorphose, mill, mine, misapply, misappropriate, misemploy, mishandle, mismanage, misuse, mitigate, modify, modulate, move, mugwump, mutate, naturalize, neophyte, overthrow, peculate, persuade, pervert, pietist, pilfer, pollute, process, profane, pronate, proselyte, proselytize, prostitute, pump, qualify, quisling, raise, re-create, realign, rear, rebuild, receiver, recidivist, reconstruct, reconvert, recreant, redeem, redesign, reduce to, refine, refit, reform, regenerate, religionist, remake, remodel, render, renegade, renegado, renegate, renew, reshape, resolve into, restructure, resupinate, revamp, reverse, reversionist, revive, revolve, ring the changes, rotate, runagate, saint, satisfy, save, schismatic, seceder, secessionist, sell, sell one on, sell out, sell short, separatist, shift, shift the scene, shuffle the cards, smelt, strikebreaker, subvert, supinate, sway, switch, switch over, talk over, tergiversant, tergiversator, terminate the account, theist, traitor, transfigure, transform, translate, transmogrify, transmute, transpose, transubstantiate, truster, turn about, turn around, turn back, turn down, turn in, turn inside out, turn into, turn out, turn over, turn the scale, turn the tables, turn the tide, turn upside down, turnabout, turncoat, turntail, unload, use, utilize, vary, violate, votary, win over, work a change, worsen, zealot

ROGET THESAURUS

Convert

Tergiversation

N tergiversation, change of mind, change of intention, change of purpose, afterthought, tergiversation, recantation, palinode, palinody, renunciation, abjuration, abjurement, defection, going over, apostasy, retraction, retractation, withdrawal, disavowal, revocation, revokement, reversal, repentance, redintegratio amoris, coquetry, vacillation, backsliding, volte-face, turn coat, turn tippet, rat, apostate, renegade, convert, pervert, proselyte, deserter, backslider, blackleg, crawfish, scab, mugwump, recidivist, time server, time pleaser, timist, Vicar of Bray, trimmer, ambidexter, weathercock, Janus, changeful, irresolute, ductile, slippery as an eel, trimming, ambidextrous, timeserving, coquetting, revocatory, reactionary, a change came o'er the spirit of my dream.

Conversion

N conversion, reduction, transmutation, resolution, assimilation, evolution, sea change, change of state, assumption, naturalization, transportation, development, developing, conversion of currency, exchange of currency, exchange rate, bureau de change, chemistry, alchemy, progress, growth, lapse, flux, passage, transit, transition, transmigration, shifting, phase, conjugation, convertibility, crucible, alembic, caldron, retort, convert, pervert, renegade, apostate, converted into, convertible, resolvable into, transitional, naturalized, gradually, &c (slowly) 275 in transitu.

Piety

N piety, religion, theism, faith, religiousness, holiness, saintship, religionism, sanctimony, reverence, humility, veneration, devotion, prostration, grace, unction, edification, sanctity, sanctitude, consecration, spiritual existence, odor of sanctity, beauty of holiness, theopathy, beatification, adoption, regeneration, conversion, justification, sanctification, salvation, inspiration, bread of life, Body and Blood of Christ, believer, convert, theist, Christian, devotee, pietist, the good, the righteous, the just, the believing, the elect, Saint, Madonna, Notre Dame, Our Lady, the children of God, the children of the Kingdom, the children of the light, pious, religious, devout, devoted, reverent, godly, heavenly- minded, humble, pure, holy, spiritual, pietistic, saintly, saint-like, seraphic, sacred, solemn, believing, faithful, Christian, Catholic, elected, adopted, justified, sanctified, regenerated, inspired, consecrated, converted, unearthly, not of the earth, ne vile fano, pure-eyed Faith, thou hovering angel girt with golden wings.

VB be pious, have faith, believe, receive Christ, revere, be converted, convert, edify, sanctify, keep holy, beatify, regenerate, inspire, consecrate, enshrine.

Belief

VB believe, credit, give faith to, give credit to, credence to, see, realize, assume, receive, set down for, take for, have it, take it, consider, esteem, presume, count upon, depend upon, calculate upon, pin one's faith upon, reckon upon, lean upon, build upon, rely upon, rest upon, lay one's account for, make sure of, make oneself easy about, on that score, take on trust, take on credit, take for granted, take for gospel, allow some weight to, attach some weight to, know, know for certain, have know, make no doubt, doubt not, be, rest assured, persuade oneself, assure oneself, satisfy oneself, make up one's mind, give one credit for, confide in, believe in, put one's trust in, place in, repose in, implicit confidence in, take one's word for, at one's word, place reliance on, rely upon, swear by, regard to, think, hold, take, take it, opine, be of opinion, conceive, trow, ween, fancy, apprehend, have it, hold a belief, possess, entertain a belief, adopt a belief, imbibe a belief, embrace a belief, get hold of a belief, hazard, foster, nurture a belief, cherish a belief, have an opinion, hold an opinion, possess, entertain an opinion, adopt an opinion, imbibe an opinion, embrace an opinion, get hold of an opinion, hazard an opinion, foster an opinion, nurture an opinion, cherish an opinion, view as, consider as, take as, hold as, conceive as, regard as, esteem as, deem as, look upon as, account as, set down as, surmise, get it into one's head, take it into one's head, come round to an opinion, swallow, cause to be believed, satisfy, persuade, have the ear of, gain the confidence of, assure, convince, convict, convert, wean, bring round, bring over, win over, indoctrinate, cram down the throat, produce conviction, carry conviction, bring home to, drive home to, go down, find credence, pass current, be received, be current, possess, take hold of, take possession of the mind.