All 6 Uses of
construe
in
Of Human Bondage
- Mr. Turner, who was the first victim, broke the news to his form that the headmaster would take them for Latin that day, and on the pretence that they might like to ask him a question or two so that they should not make perfect fools of themselves, spent the last quarter of an hour of the history lesson in construing for them the passage of Livy which had been set for the day; but when he rejoined his class and looked at the paper on which Mr. Perkins had written the marks, a surprise awaited him; for the two boys at the top of the form seemed to have done very ill, while others who had never distinguished themselves before were given full marks.†
Chpt 15-16construing = understanding something to have a specific meaning
- When he asked Eldridge, his cleverest boy, what was the meaning of this the answer came sullenly: "Mr. Perkins never gave us any construing to do.†
Chpt 15-16
- His nails were bitten to the quick, for while some trembling boy was construing he would sit at his desk shaking with the fury that consumed him, and gnaw his fingers.†
Chpt 15-16
- Rather than risk an answer which might be wrong and excite a storm of abuse from the master, he would sit stupidly silent, and when it came towards his turn to stand up and construe he grew sick and white with apprehension.†
Chpt 15-16construe = understand something to have a specific meaning
- Did you hear all this construed last time or not?†
Chpt 15-16 *construed = understood something to have a specific meaning
- You knew exactly what lines would come to your turn to construe, and with the crib that passed from hand to hand you could find out all you wanted in two minutes; you could hold a Latin Grammar open on your knees while questions were passing round; and Winks never noticed anything odd in the fact that the same incredible mistake was to be found in a dozen different exercises.†
Chpt 17-18construe = understand something to have a specific meaning
Definition:
to interpret (understand) something as have a specific meaning