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1809, in geology, “a rock made up of pebbles and other water-worn debris from previous rocks,” from conglomerate (adj.). General sense of “anything comprised of heterogeneous or incongruous materials” is from 1831.  Specific sense “large business group” is from 1963, short for conglomerate corporation. Related: Conglomeratic.

“gathered into a ball or rounded mass,” 1570s, from Latin conglomeratus, past participle of conglomerare “to roll together, concentrate, heap up,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” (see con-) + glomerare “to gather into a ball, collect,” from glomus (genitive glomeris) “a ball, ball-shaped mass,” possibly from PIE *glem- (see glebe).

mid-14c. (c. 1200 as a surname), mid-14c., “intelligence; discretion, foresight; wisdom to see what is suitable or profitable;” also one of the four cardinal virtues, “wisdom to see what is virtuous;” from Old French prudence (13c.) and directly from Latin prudentia “a foreseeing, foresight, sagacity, practical judgment,” contraction of providentia “foresight” (see providence). Secondary sense of “wisdom” (late 14c.) is preserved in jurisprudence.

1620s, “systematic knowledge of law,” from French jurisprudence (17c.) and directly from Late Latin iurisprudentia “the science of law,” from iuris “of right, of law” (genitive of ius; see jurist) + prudentia “knowledge, a foreseeing” (see prudence). Meaning “the philosophy of law” is first attested 1756. Related: Jurisprudent; jurisprudential.

1610s, “territory under the jurisdiction of a lord or officer,” from French district (16c.), from Medieval Latin districtus “restraining of offenders, jurisdiction,” then under the feudal system “area of jurisdiction, district within which the lord may take and withhold personal property (distrain) for legal reasons.” It is a noun use of the past participle of Latin distringere “to draw apart, hinder,” also in Medieval Latin “compel, coerce,” from dis- “apart” (see dis-) + stringere “draw tight, press together” (see strain (v.)).

Compare distress (v.) which originally in English also had a sense of “constrain or compel.” District was used generally of “a limited extent of a country marked off for a special purpose” by 1660s, then vaguely of “any tract of land” by 1712. In the U.S., it generally indicates that the inhabitants act together for some specific purpose (school district, etc.). District attorney is attested by 1789, American English.

late 14c., “to make free,” from Old French franchiss-, past participle stem of franchir “to free” (12c.), from franc “free” (see frank (adj.)). Franchising is from 1570s; the commercial licensing sense is from 1966. Related: Franchisee; franchiser; franchisor.

c. 1300, fraunchise, “a special right or privilege (by grant of a sovereign or government);” also “national sovereignty; nobility of character, generosity; the king’s authority; the collective rights claimed by a people or town or religious institution,” also used of the state of Adam and Eve before the Fall, from Old French franchise “freedom, exemption; right, privilege” (12c.), from variant stem of franc “free” (see frank (adj.)).

From late 14c. as “freedom; not being in servitude; social status of a freeman;” early 15c. as “citizenship, membership in a community or town; membership in a craft or guild.” The “special right” sense narrowed 18c. to “particular legal privilege,” then “right to vote” (1790). From mid-15c. as “right to buy or sell,” also “right to exclude others from buying or selling, a monopoly;” meaning “authorization by a company to sell its products or services” is from 1959.

c. 1300, conninge, “knowledge, understanding, information, learning,” a sense now obsolete, verbal noun from connen, cunnen “to have ability or capacity,” from Old English cunnan (see can v.1). By mid-14c. as “ability to understand, intelligence; wisdom, prudence;” sense of “cleverness, shrewdness, practical skill in a secret or crafty manner” is by late 14c. 

early 14c., conning, “learned, skillful, possessing knowledge,” present participle of connen, cunnen “to know,” from Old English cunnan (see can (v.1)), from PIE root *gno- “to know.” Also compare cun (v.). Sense of “skillfully deceitful, characterized by crafty ingenuity” is probably by late 14c. Related: Cunningly.