All 3 Uses of
coax
in
Jane Eyre
- From this deficiency of nourishment resulted an abuse, which pressed hardly on the younger pupils: whenever the famished great girls had an opportunity, they would coax or menace the little ones out of their portion.†
p. 71.8
- And so, by dint of alternate coaxing and commanding, he contrived to get them all once more enclosed in their separate dormitories.†
p. 240.2 *coaxing = trying to obtain a result through gentle and careful effort -- often gently persuading
- Don't you think I had better take advantage of the confession, and begin and coax and entreat — even cry and be sulky if necessary — for the sake of a mere essay of my power?†
p. 302.5
Definitions:
-
(1)
(coax as in: coax her to join us) try to obtain a result through gentle and careful effort -- often gentle persuasion
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Less commonly, coax is a short for coaxial cable (a type of electrical cable used to transmit data, the internet, video and voice communications). Coaxial cables have a conducting wire surrounded by an insulating layer surrounded by a shield. The insulating layer and shield surround a common axis--the conducting wire.
In classic literature, you may see coax used as a synonym for caress or fondle.