Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: conceivre, from Latin concipere 'to take in, conceive', from com- ( COM-) + capere 'to take'

conceive

 verb
     
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con‧ceive
1 [intransitive and transitive] formal to imagine a particular situation or to think about something in a particular way
(cannot) conceive of (doing) something
Many people can't conceive of a dinner without meat or fish.
conceive that
He could not conceive that anything really serious could be worrying his friend.
conceive what/why/how etc
I can hardly conceive what it must be like here in winter.
conceive of something/somebody as something
Language may be conceived of as a process which arises from social interaction.
2 [transitive] to think of a new idea, plan etc and develop it in your mind:
Scientists first conceived the idea of the atomic bomb in the 1930's.
3 [intransitive and transitive]MB to become pregnant:
fertility treatment for women who have difficulty conceiving
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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