confab

plural confabs

1. abbreviationclippingcountableinformaluncountableClipping of confabulation (“a casual chat or talk”).

   [January 4, 1810.] [...] At six to la Baronne Knebel, chez lui Princess Caroline. Tea and cheerful confab.

   1810 January 4, Aaron Burr, edited by Matthew L. Davis, The Private Journal of Aaron Burr, during His Residence of Four Years in Europe; with Selections from His Correspondence. […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], published 1838, →OCLC, pages 386–387

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   But, Sir, as I am in haſte, we had better refer the Diſpute at preſent—any other Time I am at your Service for a Confab of a few Hours—I ſhall run thro' my Buſineſs with as brief Prolixity as poſſible— [...]

   1761, J[oseph] Reed, The Register-office: A Farce of Two Acts. […], London: […] T[homas] Davies, […], →OCLC, act II, page 24

   Some confab followed, and I overheard enough to tell me that a scouting party had come in, bringing a prisoner.

   1902, Francis Lynde, “In which I Taste the Quality of Mercy”, in The Master of Appleby: […], New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers, →OCLC, page 92

   The delegates must, of course, hold endless private confabs before they meet in order to take any formal action.

   1919 January, John Jay Chapman, “Below the Cataract: The Great Moment of Calm between War and Peace”, in Albert Lee, editor, Vanity Fair, volume 11, number 5, New York, N.Y.: Vanity Fair Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 68, column 4

   A few unexpected nerves took over as we waited to board the São Paulo plane. Phone calls and confabs behind the scenes between officials holding the pile of passports had us worried.

   2013, Ciro [Roberto] Bustos, “Onwards to Bolivia and Argentina: May—June 1963”, in Ann Wright, transl., Che Wants to See You: The Untold Story of Che in Bolivia, London; Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.: Verso, →ISBN, part 2 (Argentina), page 106

   Soom after the Illinois governor won the 1952 Democratic Party nomination, [Harry] Golden fired off several witty memos to Stevenson [i.e., Adlai Stevenson II], who in turn invited him to come to Springfield for a campaign speech-writing confab.

   2015, Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett, “Introduction”, in Carolina Israelite: How Harry Golden Made Us Care about Jews, the South, and Civil Rights, Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, →ISBN, page 2

   Synonyms: chat, chinwag, conflab, schmooze

present singular third person confabs · participle present confabbing · participle past confabbed · past confabbed

1. abbreviationclippinginformalintransitiveClipping of confabulate (“to speak casually with somebody; to chat”).

   We had a cold supper, and then Bill and me walked out on the prairie, to confab a little about what was ahead.

   1987, Peter Bowen, chapter 26, in Yellowstone Kelly: Gentleman and Scout, New York, N.Y.: Open Road Media, published 2013, →ISBN

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   [T]o mak conquests o' bits o' lasses, ye would hae been sitting in your forlorn chair, confabbing wi' Jock, about whether by rope, or gun, was the easiest way o' deeing.

   1826, [John Galt], chapter XXVI, in The Last of the Lairds: Or, The Life and Opinions of Malachi Mailings, Esq. of Auldbiggings, Edinburgh: William Blackwood; London: T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 230

   He had actually argued and "confabbed" with a strange jeweller, and he had asked him questions about his wife; his delicate little Hélène!

   1878 November, “Two Handsome People; Two Jealous People; and a Ring!”, in Temple Bar: A London Magazine for Town and Country Readers, volume LIV, London: Richard Bentley & Son, […]; New York, N.Y.: Willmer and Rogers; Paris: Galignani, published March 1870, →OCLC, chapter II, page 398

   Synonyms: confable, discourse, parley, chat, common, confabulate, conversate, converse