to join, link, or fasten together; unite or bind: to connect the two cities by a bridge; Communication satellites connect the local stations into a network.
to establish communication between; put in communication: Operator, will you please connect me with Mr. Jones?
to have as an accompanying or associated feature: pleasures connected with music.
to cause to be associated, as in a personal or business relationship: to connect oneself with a group of like-minded persons; Our bank is connected with major foreign banks.
to associate mentally or emotionally: She connects all telegrams with bad news.
to link to an electrical or communications system; hook up: to connect a telephone.
verb (used without object)
to become connected; join or unite: These two parts connect at the sides.
(of trains, buses, etc.) to run so as to make connections (often followed by with): This bus connects with a northbound bus.
Informal. to have or establish successful communication; make contact: I connected with two new clients today.
Informal. to relate to or be in harmony with another person, one's work, etc.: We knew each other well but never connected.
Slang. (of an addict or drug dealer) to make direct contact for the illegal sale or purchase of narcotics.
Sports. to hit successfully or solidly: The batter connected for a home run. The boxer connected with a right.
adjective
of or relating to a connection or connections: connect charges for a new cable television channel.
Origin of connect
1400–50;late Middle English < Latinconnectere, equivalent to con-con- + nectere to tie; see nexus
Related formscon·nect·i·ble, con·nect·a·ble, adjectivecon·nect·i·bil·i·ty, con·nect·a·bil·i·ty, nounmis·con·nect, verbre·con·nect, verb (used with object)sub·con·nect, verb
(tr)to relate or associateI connect him with my childhood
(tr)to establish telephone communications with or between
(intr)to be meaningful or meaningfully related
(intr)(of two public vehicles, such as trains or buses) to have the arrival of one timed to occur just before the departure of the other, for the convenient transfer of passengers
(intr)informalto hit, punch, kick, etc, solidly
(intr)US and Canadianinformalto be successful
(intr)slangto find a source of drugs, esp illegal drugs
mid-15c., from Latin conectere "join together" (see connection). Displaced 16c. by connex (1540s), from Middle French connexer, from Latin *connexare, a supposed frequentative of conectere (past participle stem connex-). Connect was re-established 1670s.
A similar change took place in French, where connexer was superseded by connecter. Meaning "to establish a relationship" (with) is from 1881. Slang meaning "get in touch with" is attested by 1926, from telephone connections. Meaning "awaken meaningful emotions, establish rapport" is from 1942. Of a hit or blow, "to reach the target," from c.1920. Related: Connected; connecting; connectedness.
