Con"duct (k&obreve;n"dŭkt),
n. [LL. conductus defense, escort, fr.
L. conductus, p. p. of conducere. See
Conduce, and cf. Conduit.] 1.
The act or method of conducting; guidance;
management.
Christianity has humanized the conduct of
war.
Paley.
The conduct of the state, the
administration of its affairs.
Ld. Brougham.
2. Skillful guidance or management;
generalship.
Conduct of armies is a prince's art.
Waller.
Attacked the Spaniards . . . with great
impetuosity, but with so little conduct, that his forces
were totally routed.
Robertson.
3. Convoy; escort; guard; guide.
[Archaic]
I will be your conduct.
B. Jonson.
In my conduct shall your ladies come.
Shak.
4. That which carries or conveys
anything; a channel; a conduit; an instrument. [Obs.]
Although thou hast been conduct of my
shame.
Shak.
5. The manner of guiding or carrying
one's self; personal deportment; mode of action;
behavior.
All these difficulties were increased by the
conduct of Shrewsbury.
Macaulay.
What in the conduct of our life appears
So well designed, so luckily begun,
But when we have our wish, we wish undone?
Dryden.
6. Plot; action; construction; manner of
development.
The book of Job, in conduct and
diction.
Macaulay.
Conduct money (Naut.), a portion
of a seaman's wages retained till the end of his engagement, and
paid over only if his conduct has been satisfactory.
Syn. -- Behavior; carriage; deportment; demeanor;
bearing; management; guidance. See Behavior.
Con*duct" (k&obreve;n*dŭkt"), v.
t. [imp. & p. p. Conducted;
p. pr. & vb. n. Conducting.] [See
Conduct, n.] 1. To
lead, or guide; to escort; to attend.
I can conduct you, lady, to a low
But loyal cottage, where you may be safe.
Milton.
2. To lead, as a commander; to direct; to
manage; to carry on; as, to conduct the affairs of a
kingdom.
Little skilled in the art of conducting a
siege.
Prescott.
3. To behave; -- with the reflexive; as,
he conducted himself well.
4. (Physics) To serve as a medium
for conveying; to transmit, as heat, light, electricity,
etc.
5. (Mus.) To direct, as the leader
in the performance of a musical composition.
Con*duct", v. i. 1.
To act as a conductor (as of heat, electricity, etc.); to
carry.
2. To conduct one's self; to
behave. [U. S.]
