— construer , n.
v. /keuhn strooh"/ or, esp. Brit., /kon"strooh/ ; n. /kon"strooh/ , v. , construed, construing , n.
v.t.
1. to give the meaning or intention of; explain; interpret.
2. to deduce by inference or interpretation; infer: He construed her intentions from her gestures.
3. to translate, esp. orally.
4. to analyze the syntax of; to rehearse the applicable grammatical rules of: to construe a sentence.
5. to arrange or combine (words, phrases, etc.) syntactically.
v.i.
6. to admit of grammatical analysis or interpretation.
n.
7. the act of construing.
8. something that is construed.
[ 1325-75; ME construen construere to put together, build, equiv. to con- CON- + struere to pile up, arrange, perh. akin to sternere to spread, STREW; see STRATUM ]