noun

conn

kon

noun

The responsibility of directing and steering a ship, especially the phrase "to have the conn."

"The captain handed the conn to the first officer for the night watch."

verb

To direct or steer a vessel, guiding the helmsman on its course.

"The pilot conned the tanker carefully through the narrow channel."

How to Use Conn

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA nautical term for taking charge of steering a ship — mostly heard as "have the conn" or "take the conn."

When to use it

Specialist maritime and naval vocabulary, rarely used outside that context.

conned past tense, conns plural, conns singular

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The captain handed the _____ to the first officer for the night watch.

A variant of the older word "cond," from Anglo-Norman "conduire" ("to lead"), the same root that gives us "conduct" and "conduce."

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