From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Confound \Con*found"\ (k[o^]n*found"), v. t. [imp. & p. p.
{Confounded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Confounding}.] [F. confondre,
fr. L. confundere, -fusum, to pour together; con- + fundere
to pour. See {Fuse} to melt, and cf. {Confuse}.]
1. To mingle and blend, so that different elements can not be
distinguished; to confuse.
[1913 Webster]
They who strip not ideas from the marks men use for
them, but confound them with words, must have
endless dispute. --Locke.
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Let us go down, and there confound their language.
--Gen. xi. 7.
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2. To mistake for another; to identify falsely.
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They [the tinkers] were generally vagrants and
pilferers, and were often confounded with the
gypsies. --Macaulay.
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3. To throw into confusion or disorder; to perplex; to strike
with amazement; to dismay.
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The gods confound...
The Athenians both within and out that wall. --Shak.
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They trusted in thee and were not confounded. --Ps.
xxii. 5.
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So spake the Son of God, and Satan stood
A while as mute, confounded what to say. --Milton.
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4. To destroy; to ruin; to waste. [Obs.]
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One man's lust these many lives confounds. --Shak.
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How couldst thou in a mile confound an hour? --Shak.
Syn: To abash; confuse; baffle; dismay; astonish; defeat;
terrify; mix; blend; intermingle. See {Abash}.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
confound
v 1: be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think
clearly; "These questions confuse even the experts"; "This
question completely threw me"; "This question befuddled
even the teacher" [syn: {confuse}, {throw}, {fox},
{befuddle}, {fuddle}, {bedevil}, {confound},
{discombobulate}]
2: mistake one thing for another; "you are confusing me with the
other candidate"; "I mistook her for the secretary" [syn:
{confuse}, {confound}]
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