All 9 Uses of
conscious
in
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
- Momma, always self-conscious at public displays of emotions not traceable to a religious source, told me to come with her and we'd bring the bread and bowls.†
p. 156.3 *self-conscious = nervousness or discomfort felt by someone due to concern about what others will think of them
- The barrenness of Stamps was exactly what I wanted, without will or consciousness.†
p. 89.1
- All this was decided unconsciously.†
p. 210.7 *unconsciously = not in a self-aware mannerstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unconsciously means not and reverses the meaning of consciously. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky. Also note that while many people use this as a synonym for subconsciously, experts in the mind may distinguish a difference.
- Except for the jewelry, he was a conservative dresser and carried himself with the unconscious pomp of a man of secure means.†
p. 220.7 *unconscious = a state similar to sleep where one is unaware of anythingstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unconscious means not and reverses the meaning of conscious. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
- We learned to slide out of one language and into another without being conscious of the effort.†
p. 225.8
- He didn't consciously consider the new possessions the open sesame to Mother Dear's vault of acceptance.†
p. 257.9 *
- At some point he noticed me still in the doorway, and his consciousness stretched to remember our relationship.†
p. 260.9
- And meantime, my voice refused to stay up in the higher registers where I consciously pitched it, and I had to buy my shoes in the "old lady's comfort" section of the shoe stores.†
p. 275.1
- At none of the early stages of undressing was I in the least conscious of her body.†
p. 279.3
Definitions:
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(1)
(conscious as in: conscious after the operation) awake (not asleep or in a state similar to sleep where one is unaware of anything)
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(2)
(conscious as in: a conscious effort to lose weight) intentional (done on purpose) -- perhaps with significant effort
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(3)
(conscious as in: environmentally conscious) aware or concerned about something
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(4)
(conscious as in: the conscious mind) mental activity of which one is self-aware
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(5)
(conscious as in: conscious life on other planets) capable of thought, self-reflection, and will