conversation

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Expression and exchange of individual ideas through talking with other people; also, a set instance or occasion of such talking.

   “I had an interesting conversation with Nicolas yesterday about how much he's getting paid.”

   “You need to improve conversation in foreign languages.”

   “Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.”

   “M. Nioche pressed his finger-tips together and slowly raised his shoulders. “A little conversation!” / “Conversation—that’s it!” murmured Mademoiselle Noémie, who had caught the word. “The conversation of the best society.” / “Our French conversation is famous, you know,” M. Nioche ventured to continue.”

   “When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The back-and-forth play of the blades in a bout.
3. (countable, uncountable)The protocol-based interaction between systems processing a transaction.
4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Interaction; commerce or intercourse with other people; dealing with others.

   “Yt chaunſed thatt a whole yere they had their converſacion with the congregacion there / and taught moche people in ſomoche thatt the diſciples off Antioche wer the fyrſt that wer called Chriſten.”

5. (archaic, countable, uncountable)Behaviour, the way one conducts oneself; a person's way of life.

   “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

   “There are many that take no heed what happeneth to others by bad conversation, and therefore overthrow themselves in the same manner through their own fault, not foreseeing dangers manifest.”

   “I have desired him to inquire after Lovelace's life and conversation in town.”

6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Sexual intercourse.

   “criminal conversation”

   “Ariadne[…]quitted her Lover Theseus, for the tumultuous Conversation of Bacchus.”

7. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Engagement with a specific subject, idea, field of study etc.

   “So grosse is our conuersation, and dull is our apprehension: while mortall Sense, in vs, ruleth the common wealth of our litle world.”

verb

1. (ambitransitive, nonstandard)To engage in conversation (with).

   “Gone now are the "high-minded" style, the "adapted from literature" feel, the voice-over narration, and the abstract conversationing about ideas, values...”

   “...he has breakfasted me, dined me, conversationed me, absolutely caressed me. He has been really most kind and paternal...”

   “After all this conversationing, Scottie, my usual dance partner, was getting antsy and wanted to dance.”