Con"ju*gate (?), a. [L.
conjugatus, p. p. or conjugare to unite; con-
+ jugare to join, yoke, marry, jugum yoke; akin to
jungere to join. See Join.] 1.
United in pairs; yoked together; coupled.
2. (Bot.) In single pairs;
coupled.
3. (Chem.) Containing two or more
radicals supposed to act the part of a single one. [R.]
4. (Gram.) Agreeing in derivation
and radical signification; -- said of words.
5. (Math.) Presenting themselves
simultaneously and having reciprocal properties; -- frequently
used in pure and applied mathematics with reference to two
quantities, points, lines, axes, curves, etc.
Conjugate axis of a hyperbola
(Math.), the line through the center of the curve,
perpendicular to the line through the two foci. --
Conjugate diameters (Conic Sections),
two diameters of an ellipse or hyperbola such that each
bisects all chords drawn parallel to the other. --
Conjugate focus (Opt.) See under
Focus. -- Conjugate mirrors
(Optics), two mirrors so placed that rays from the
focus of one are received at the focus of the other, especially
two concave mirrors so placed that rays proceeding from the
principal focus of one and reflected in a parallel beam are
received upon the other and brought to the principal focus.
-- Conjugate point (Geom.), an
acnode. See Acnode, and Double point. --
Self-conjugate triangle (Conic
Sections), a triangle each of whose vertices is the pole
of the opposite side with reference to a conic.
Con`ju*gate (?), n. [L.
conjugatum a combining, etymological relationship.]
1. A word agreeing in derivation with
another word, and therefore generally resembling it in
signification.
We have learned, in logic, that conjugates
are sometimes in name only, and not in deed.
Abp. Bramhall.
2. (Chem.) A complex radical
supposed to act the part of a single radical. [R.]
Con"ju*gate (?), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Conjugated; p. pr.
& vb. n. Conjugating.] 1.
To unite in marriage; to join. [Obs.] Sir H.
Wotton.
2. (Gram.) To inflect (a verb), or
give in order the forms which it assumes in its several voices,
moods, tenses, numbers, and persons.
Con"ju*gate, v. i. (Biol.)
To unite in a kind of sexual union, as two or more cells or
individuals among the more simple plants and animals.
