conn

Etymology

Variant of cond, from Middle English conduen, condien, from Anglo-Norman conduire, from Latin condūcō (“lead, bring or draw together”), from con- (“with, together”) + dūcō (“lead”). Doublet of conduce.

noun

1. The duty of directing a ship, usually used with the verb to have or to take and accompanied by the article "the."
   The officer of the deck has the conn of the vessel; the captain took the conn when she reached the bridge.

verb

1. (transitive) To direct a ship; to superintend the steering of (a vessel); to watch the course of (a vessel) and direct the helmsman how to steer (especially through a channel, etc, rather than steer a compass direction).
   The pilot conned the ship safely into the harbor.
   “Ay,” says I, “you’ll allow me to steer, that is, hold the helm, but you’ll conn the ship, as they call it; that is, as at sea, a boy serves to stand at the helm, but he that gives him the orders is pilot.” 1724, Daniel Defoe, Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress, chapter 8