confab
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkɒnfæb/
ipa: /kənˈfæb/
ipa: /kɑn-/
ipa: /kɔnˈfæb/
rhymes: -æb
Forms: form: confabs
Etymology: Clipping of confabulation, from Middle English confabulacion (“conversation”), from Latin confābulātiōnem, from cōnfābulārī + -tiōnem (suffix forming nouns relating to actions or their results); see further at etymology 2.
Senses: examples: text: But, Sir, as I am in haſte, we had better refer the Diſpute at preſent—any other Time I am at your Service for a Confab of a few Hours—I ſhall run thro' my Buſineſs with as brief Prolixity as poſſible— [...]
ref: 1761, J[oseph] Reed, The Register-office: A Farce of Two Acts. […], London: […] T[homas] Davies, […], →OCLC, act II, page 24:
text: [January 4, 1810.] [...] At six to la Baronne Knebel, chez lui Princess Caroline. Tea and cheerful confab.
ref: 1810 January 4, Aaron Burr, edited by Matthew L. Davis, The Private Journal of Aaron Burr, during His Residence of Four Years in Europe; with Selections from His Correspondence. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], published 1838, →OCLC, pages 386–387:
text: Some confab followed, and I overheard enough to tell me that a scouting party had come in, bringing a prisoner.
ref: 1902, Francis Lynde, “In which I Taste the Quality of Mercy”, in The Master of Appleby: […], New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, →OCLC, page 92:
text: The delegates must, of course, hold endless private confabs before they meet in order to take any formal action.
ref: 1919 January, John Jay Chapman, “Below the Cataract: The Great Moment of Calm between War and Peace”, in Albert Lee, editor, Vanity Fair, volume 11, number 5, New York, N.Y.: Vanity Fair Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 68, column 4:
text: A few unexpected nerves took over as we waited to board the São Paulo plane. Phone calls and confabs behind the scenes between officials holding the pile of passports had us worried.
ref: 2013, Ciro [Roberto] Bustos, “Onwards to Bolivia and Argentina: May—June 1963”, in Ann Wright, transl., Che Wants to See You: The Untold Story of Che in Bolivia, London; Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.: Verso, →ISBN, part 2 (Argentina), page 106:
text: Soom after the Illinois governor won the 1952 Democratic Party nomination, [Harry] Golden fired off several witty memos to Stevenson [i.e., Adlai Stevenson II], who in turn invited him to come to Springfield for a campaign speech-writing confab.
ref: 2015, Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett, “Introduction”, in Carolina Israelite: How Harry Golden Made Us Care about Jews, the South, and Civil Rights, Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, →ISBN, page 2:
text: […] The princess confab also leads into a scene featuring Vanellope and the cast of Slaughter Race that probably shouldn't be spoiled.
ref: 2018 November 14, Jesse Hassenger, “Disney Goes Viral with an Ambitious, Overstuffed Wreck-It Ralph Sequel”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 21 Nov 2019:
text: On a blistering afternoon earlier this month, Jessay Martin, 68, headed across the street for the usual poolside confab, stopping to grab a Bud Light Seltzer Pineapple from the fridge on his way out to the patio.
ref: 2022 May 25, Charley Locke, “‘Grandfluencers’ Are Sharing a New Vision of Old Age”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
synonyms: conflab
glosses: Clipping of confabulation (“a casual chat or talk”).
Related terms: word: confable
word: confabular
word: confabulate
word: confabulation
word: confabulative
word: confabulator
word: confabulatory