Con-ceit’1, n.
(kon-seet’), n. [O. Fr. concept, Lat. conceptus, Sp. concepto, Pg. conceito, It. concetto. See CONCEIVE.]
Sense 1. That which is conceived, imagined, or formed in the mind; idea; thought; image; conception.
In laughing, there ever precedeth a conceit of somewhat ridiculous. Bacon.
Sense 2. Faculty of conceiving; apprehension; understanding; as, a man of quick conceit. [Obs.]
How often, alas! did her eyes say unto me that they loved! and yet I, not looking for such a matter, had not my conceit open to understand them. Sidney.
Sense 3. An ill-founded, fanciful, odd, or extravagant notion; a quaint fancy; an unnatural or affected conception; notion; fancy; freak.
On his way to the gibbet, a freak took him in the head to go off with a conceit. L’Estrange.
Some to conceit alone their works confine, And glittering thoughts struck out at every line. Pope.
Strong conceit, like a new principle, carries all easily with it when yet above common sense. Locke.
Sense 4. Opinion; estimation; especially, over-estimation of one’s self; vanity.
Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool than of him. Prov. xxvi. 12.
Plumed with conceit he calls aloud, And thus bespeaks the purblind crowd: “Say not that man alone’s a poet, Poets are owls—my verse shall show it.” Cotton.
Out of conceit with, not having a favorable opinion of; no longer pleased with; as, a man is out of conceit with his dress.—To put one out of conceit with, to make him indifferent to a thing, or in a degree displeased with it.