Both Uses of
coax
in
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
- Everybody that could get a chance at him tried their best to coax him off of his horse so they could lock him up and get him sober; but it warn't no use—
Chpt 21 *coax = persuade
- Then he went to work on the nigger, coaxing him and petting him, and asking him if he'd been imagining he saw something again.†
Chpt 36coaxing = trying to obtain a result through gentle and careful effort -- often gently persuading
Definitions:
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(1)
(coax as in: coax her to join us) try to obtain a result through gentle and careful effort -- often gentle persuasion
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(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, coax is a short for coaxial cable (a type of electrical cable used to transmit data, the internet, video and voice communications). Coaxial cables have a conducting wire surrounded by an insulating layer surrounded by a shield. The insulating layer and shield surround a common axis--the conducting wire.
In classic literature, you may see coax used as a synonym for caress or fondle.