connect

present singular third person connects · participle present connecting · participle past connected · past connected · first person past singular connected · archaic present second person singular connectest · past second person singular connected · archaic past second person singular connectedst · present singular third person connects · archaic present singular third person connecteth · past singular third person connected · past plural connected · past subjunctive connected · participle present connecting · participle past connected

1. intransitiveTo join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.

   I think this piece connects to that piece over there.

   Synonyms: affix, join, put together, unite, accouple, affix, assemble, associate · Antonyms: disconnect

2. intransitiveTo join: to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to each other.

   Both roads have the same name, but they don't connect: they're on opposite sides of the river, and there's no bridge there.

3. intransitiveTo arrive at an intended target; to land.

   When that roundhouse kick connected with his temple it sent him flying across the room.

4. transitiveTo join (two other objects), or to join (one object) to (another object): to be a link between two objects, thereby attaching them to each other.

   The new railroad will connect the northern part of the state to the southern part.

   2 more examples

   Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.

   1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

   With some of it on the south and more of it on the north of the great main thoroughfare that connects Aldgate and the East India Docks, St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London.

   1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

5. transitiveTo join (two other objects), or to join (one object) to (another object): to take one object and attach it to another.

   I connected the printer to the computer, but I couldn't get it work.

6. To join an electrical or telephone line to a circuit or network.

   When the technician connects my house, I'll be able to access the internet.

   1 more example

   Later on, when he had loosened up considerably, he told an amusing story that he said took place during a Sino-Soviet border flare-up in 1969. "We had a hot line between the Soviet Union and ourselves then," he said, "but it had already become cold because the Kremlin never used it. At the time of the Chen Pao border incident, however, Kosygin picked it up and called us. When our operator answered, he said, 'This is Premier Kosygin. I would like to speak to Chairman Mao.' The operator, completely on his own, said, 'You are a revisionist, and therefore I will not connect you.' So Kosygin said, 'Well, if you will not try to reach the Chairman, will you please connect me with Prime Minister Chou.' But the operator gave the same unauthorized reply and broke the connection."

   1978, Richard Nixon, RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 568

7. To associate; to establish a relation between.

   I didn't connect my lost jewelry with the news of an area cat burglar until the police contacted me.

8. To make a travel connection; to switch from one means of transport to another as part of the same trip.

   I'm flying to London where I connect with a flight heading to Hungary.

plural connects

1. Clipping of connection.
   1. slangA drug dealer.

      I called all my connects, but they were completely dry too.

      2021, Mike Majlak, Riley J. Ford, The Fifth Vital

      2 more examples

      My connects in Chicago are telling me all kinds of things. Nobody knows anything for sure except that Griffith is missing and money is missing.

      2013, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Victoria Christopher Murray, Friends & Foes, page 100

      The affidavit says the source wore a recording device during one conversation with the drug dealer, who said the officer "was doing this for big money and does runs for several connects in Bmore. Not just weed, but heroin as well, a few times coke."

      2018 November 20, Justin Fenton, “Documents show FBI was investigating Baltimore officer, who has since resigned, for alleged drug trafficking”, in The Baltimore Sun, archived from the original on 23 May 2022

   2. slangA useful friend or associate.

      My agent has a lot of connects so he's always in talks with people.

      2020 May 27, Catherine Healey, quoting Bryce Cotton, “Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton won't be caged if NBA offer comes”, in The West Australian, archived from the original on 03 Jan 2022

      3 more examples

      Even though I did not have a lot of connects in Silicon Valley, I was not concerned because I knew that Silicon Valley was not going to solve this problem.

      2019 August 3, Lauren Floyd, quoting Melissa Hanna, “People 'Took One Look at Me' and Doubted 'I could build a Million-Dollar' Company, Says Founder of Mahmee App That Attracted $3M From Mark Cuban, Serena Williams”, in Atlanta Black Star, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2020

      Now that you look the part, hopefully, you have some connects because nothing looks worse than paying to get into a club!

      2019 August 28, Chris Black, “Ask Chris Black: How Do You Keep Your Clothes Looking (and Smelling) Fresh?”, in New York Magazine, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2022

      We wanted to try something new, that's when we started a lot of our influencing on social media. It was a lot of connects but we realized when we came home, we had more resources. More of our close friends.

      2020 November 3, Shirley Ju, quoting Cyrus Dobre, “Cyrus Dobre On Positive Energy, "Bye Bye" & Making People Smile”, in Flaunt, archived from the original on 04 Jan 2023