conceit

Meanings

Noun

• Something conceived in the mind; an idea, a thought.
• The faculty of conceiving ideas; mental faculty; apprehension.
• Quickness of apprehension; active imagination; lively fancy.
• Opinion, (neutral) judgment.
• Esteem, favourable opinion.
• A novel or fanciful idea; a whim.
• An ingenious expression or metaphorical idea, especially in extended form or used as a literary or rhetorical device.
• Overly high self-esteem; vain pride; hubris.
• Design; pattern.

Verb

• To form an idea; to think.
• To conceive.

Origin

• From Middle English conceyte, formed from conceyven by analogy with pairs such as (Modern English) deceive~deceit, receive~receipt etc. concept, and concetto.