Adjacent Words

Act definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ACT, v.i. [Gr., Lat. to urge, drive, lead, bring, do, perform, or in general to move, to exert force.]
1. To exert power; as, the stomach acts upon food; the will acts upon the body in producing motion.
2. To be in action or motion; to move
He hangs between in doubt to act or rest.
3. To behave, demean, or conduct, as in morals, private duties, or public offices; as, we know not why a minister has acted in this manner. But in this sense, it is most frequent in popular language; as, how the man acts or has acted.
To act up to, is to equal in action; to fulfil or perform a correspondent action; as he has acted up to his engagement or his advantages.
ACT, v.t.
1. To perform; to represent a character on the state.
Act well your part, there all the honor lies.
2. To feign or counterfeit. Obs.
With acted fear the villain thus pursued.
3. To put in motion; to actuate; to regulate movements.
Most people in the world are acted by levity.
[In this latter sense, obsolete and superseded by actuate, which see.]
ACT, n.
1. The exertion of power; the effect, of which power exerted is the cause; as, the act of giving or receiving. In this sense it denotes an operation of the mind. Thus, to discern is an act of the understanding; to judge is an act of the will
2. That which is done; a deed exploit, or achievement, whether good or ill.
And his miracles and his acts which he did in the midst of Egypt. Deutoronomy 11.
3. Action; performance; production of effects; as, an act of charity. But this sense is closely allied to the foregoing.
4. A state of reality or real existence, as opposed to a possibility.
The seeds of plants are not at first in act, but in possibility, what they afterwards grow to be.
5. In general, act denotes action completed; but preceded by in, it denotes incomplete action.
She was taken in the very act. John 8.
In act is used also to signify incipient action, or a state of preparation to exert power; as,"In act to strike," a poetical use.
6. A part or division of a play, to be performed without interruption; after which the action is suspended to give respite to the performers. Acts are divided into smaller portions, called scenes.
7. The result of public deliberation, or the decision of a prince, legislative body, council court of justice, or magistrate; a decree, edict, law, judgment, resolve, award, determination; as an act of parliament, or of congress. The term is also transferred to the book, record, or writing, containing the laws and determinations. Also, any instrument in writing to verify facts.
In the sense of agency, or power to produce effects, as in the passage cited by Johnson, from Shakespeare, the use is improper.
To try the vigor of them and apply Allayments to their act.
Act, in English Universities, is a thesis maintained in public, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student. At Oxford, the time when masters and doctors complete their degrees is also called the act, which is held with great solemnity. At Cambridge, as in the United States, it is called commencement.
Act of faith, auto da fe, in Catholic countries, is a solemn day held by the Inquisition, for the punishment of heretics, and the absolution of accused persons found innocent; or it is the sentence of the Inquisition.
Acts of the Apostles, the title of a book in the New Testament, containing a history of the transactions of the Apostles.
Acta Diurna, among the Romans, a sort of Gazette, containing an authorized account of transactions in Rome, nearly similar to our newspapers.
Acta populi, or acta publica, the Roman registers of assemblies, trials, executions, buildings, births, marriages, and deaths of illustrious persons, etc.
Acta Senatus, minutes of what passed in the Roman senate, called also commentarii, commentaries.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body [syn: act, enactment]
2: something that people do or cause to happen [syn: act, deed, human action, human activity]
3: a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet
4: a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program; "he did his act three times every evening"; "she had a catchy little routine"; "it was one of the best numbers he ever did" [syn: act, routine, number, turn, bit]
5: a manifestation of insincerity; "he put on quite an act for her benefit" v
1: perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" [syn: act, move] [ant: forbear, refrain]
2: behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" [syn: act, behave, do]
3: play a role or part; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" [syn: act, play, represent]
4: discharge one's duties; "She acts as the chair"; "In what capacity are you acting?"
5: pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" [syn: act, play, act as]
6: be suitable for theatrical performance; "This scene acts well"
7: have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water" [syn: work, act]
8: be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure
9: behave unnaturally or affectedly; "She's just acting" [syn: dissemble, pretend, act]
10: perform on a stage or theater; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" [syn: act, play, roleplay, playact]

Merriam Webster's

abbreviation 1. Action for Children's Television 2. American College Test 3. Association of Classroom Teachers 4. Australian Capital Territory

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, partly from Latin actus doing, act, from agere to drive, do; partly from Latin actum thing done, record, from neuter of actus, past participle of agere — more at agent Date: 14th century 1. a. the doing of a thing ; deed b. something done voluntarily 2. a state of real existence rather than possibility 3. the formal product of a legislative body ; statute; also a decision or determination of a sovereign, a legislative council, or a court of justice 4. the process of doing ; action <caught in the act> 5. often capitalized a formal record of something done or transacted 6. one of the principal divisions of a theatrical work (as a play or opera) 7. a. one of successive parts or performances (as in a variety show or circus) b. the performer or performers in such an act c. a performance or presentation identified with a particular individual or group d. the sum of a person's actions or effects that serve to create an impression or set an example <a hard act to follow> 8. a display of affected behavior ; pretense II. Date: 1590 transitive verb 1. obsolete actuate, animate 2. a. to represent or perform by action especially on the stage b. feign, simulate c. impersonate 3. to play the part of as if in a play <act the man of the world> 4. to behave in a manner suitable to <act your age> intransitive verb 1. a. to perform on the stage b. to behave as if performing on the stage ; pretend 2. to take action ; move <think before acting> <acted favorably on the recommendation> 3. to conduct oneself ; behave <act like a fool> 4. to perform a specified function ; serve <trees acting as a windbreak> 5. to produce an effect ; work <wait for a medicine to act> 6. of a play to be capable of being performed <the play acts well> 7. to give a decision or award <adjourned without acting on the bill> • actability noun • actable adjective III. abbreviation 1. active 2. actor 3. actual

Oxford Reference Dictionary

abbr. Australian Capital Territory.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 something done; a deed; an action. 2 the process of doing something (caught in the act). 3 a a piece of entertainment, usu. one of a series in a programme. b the performer(s) of this. 4 a pretence; behaviour intended to deceive or impress (it was all an act). 5 a main division of a play or opera. 6 a a written ordinance of a parliament or other legislative body. b a document attesting a legal transaction. 7 (often in pl.) the recorded decisions or proceedings of a committee, an academic body, etc. 8 (Acts) ( in full Acts of the Apostles) the New Testament book relating the growth of the early Church. --v. 1 intr. behave (see how they act under stress). 2 intr. perform actions or functions; operate effectively; take action (act as referee; the brakes failed to act; we must act quickly). 3 intr. (also foll. by on) exert energy or influence (the medicine soon began to act; alcohol acts on the brain). 4 intr. a perform a part in a play, film, etc. b pretend. 5 tr. a perform the part of (acted Othello; acts the fool). b perform (a play etc.). c portray (an incident) by actions. d feign (we acted indifference). Phrases and idioms: act for be the (esp. legal) representative of. act of God the operation of uncontrollable natural forces. act of grace a privilege or concession that cannot be claimed as a right. act on (or upon) perform or carry out; put into operation (acted on my advice). act out 1 translate (ideas etc.) into action. 2 Psychol. represent (one's subconscious desires etc.) in action. act up colloq. misbehave; give trouble (my car is acting up again). get one's act together sl. become properly organized; make preparations for an undertaking etc. get into the act sl. become a participant (esp. for profit). put on an act colloq. carry out a pretence. Derivatives: actable adj. (in sense 5 of v.). actability n. (in sense 5 of v.). Etymology: ME ult. f. L agere act- do

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Act Act, v. i. 1. To exert power; to produce an effect; as, the stomach acts upon food. 2. To perform actions; to fulfill functions; to put forth energy; to move, as opposed to remaining at rest; to carry into effect a determination of the will. He hangs between, in doubt to act or rest. --Pope. 3. To behave or conduct, as in morals, private duties, or public offices; to bear or deport one's self; as, we know not why he has acted so. 4. To perform on the stage; to represent a character. To show the world how Garrick did not act. --Cowper. To act as or for, to do the work of; to serve as. To act on, to regulate one's conduct according to. To act up to, to equal in action; to fulfill in practice; as, he has acted up to his engagement or his advantages.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Act Act ([a^]kt), n. [L. actus, fr. agere to drive, do: cf. F. acte. See Agent.] 1. That which is done or doing; the exercise of power, or the effect, of which power exerted is the cause; a performance; a deed. That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts Of kindness and of love. --Wordsworth. Hence, in specific uses: (a) The result of public deliberation; the decision or determination of a legislative body, council, court of justice, etc.; a decree, edit, law, judgment, resolve, award; as, an act of Parliament, or of Congress. (b) A formal solemn writing, expressing that something has been done. --Abbott. (c) A performance of part of a play; one of the principal divisions of a play or dramatic work in which a certain definite part of the action is completed. (d) A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student. 2. A state of reality or real existence as opposed to a possibility or possible existence. [Obs.] The seeds of plants are not at first in act, but in possibility, what they afterward grow to be. --Hooker. 3. Process of doing; action. In act, in the very doing; on the point of (doing). ``In act to shoot.'' --Dryden. This woman was taken . . . in the very act. --John viii. 4. Act of attainder. (Law) See Attainder. Act of bankruptcy (Law), an act of a debtor which renders him liable to be adjudged a bankrupt. Act of faith. (Ch. Hist.) See Auto-da-F['e]. Act of God (Law), an inevitable accident; such extraordinary interruption of the usual course of events as is not to be looked for in advance, and against which ordinary prudence could not guard. Act of grace, an expression often used to designate an act declaring pardon or amnesty to numerous offenders, as at the beginning of a new reign. Act of indemnity, a statute passed for the protection of those who have committed some illegal act subjecting them to penalties. --Abbott. Act in pais, a thing done out of court (anciently, in the country), and not a matter of record. Syn: See Action.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Act Act, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acting.] [L. actus, p. p. of agere to drive, lead, do; but influenced by E. act, n.] 1. To move to action; to actuate; to animate. [Obs.] Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul. --Pope. 2. To perform; to execute; to do. [Archaic] That we act our temporal affairs with a desire no greater than our necessity. --Jer. Taylor. Industry doth beget by producing good habits, and facility of acting things expedient for us to do. --Barrow. Uplifted hands that at convenient times Could act extortion and the worst of crimes. --Cowper. 3. To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the stage. 4. To assume the office or character of; to play; to personate; as, to act the hero. 5. To feign or counterfeit; to simulate. With acted fear the villain thus pursued. --Dryden. To act a part, to sustain the part of one of the characters in a play; hence, to simulate; to dissemble. To act the part of, to take the character of; to fulfill the duties of.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(acts, acting, acted) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you act, you do something for a particular purpose. The deaths occurred when police acted to stop widespread looting and vandalism... I do not doubt that the bank acted properly. VERB: V, V adv/prep 2. If you act on advice or information, you do what has been advised or suggested. A patient will usually listen to the doctor's advice and act on it. VERB: V on/upon n 3. If someone acts in a particular way, they behave in that way. ...a gang of youths who were acting suspiciously... He acted as if he hadn't heard any of it... Open wounds act like a magnet to flies. = behave VERB: V adv, V as if, V like n 4. If someone or something acts as a particular thing, they have that role or function. He acted both as the ship's surgeon and as chaplain for the men. VERB: V as/like n 5. If someone acts in a particular way, they pretend to be something that they are not. Chris acted astonished as he examined the note... Kenworthy had tried not to act the policeman. VERB: V adj, V n 6. When professionals such as lawyers act for you, or act on your behalf, they are employed by you to deal with a particular matter. ...the law firm that acted for Diana during her marriage split... Because we travelled so much, Sam and I asked a broker to act on our behalf. VERB: V for n, V prep 7. If a force or substance acts on someone or something, it has a certain effect on them. He's taking a dangerous drug: it acts very fast on the central nervous system... VERB: V on/upon n 8. If you act, or act a part in a play or film, you have a part in it. She confessed to her parents her desire to act... She acted in her first film when she was 13 years old. VERB: V, V in n 9. An act is a single thing that someone does. (FORMAL) Language interpretation is the whole point of the act of reading... N-COUNT: oft N of n 10. If you say that someone's behaviour is an act, you mean that it does not express their real feelings. His anger was real. It wasn't an act. = pretence N-SING 11. An Act is a law passed by the government. ...an Act of Parliament. N-COUNT 12. An act in a play, opera, or ballet is one of the main parts into which it is divided. Act II contained one of the funniest scenes I have ever witnessed... N-COUNT: oft N num 13. An act in a show is a short performance which is one of several in the show. This year numerous bands are playing, as well as comedy acts... N-COUNT 14. If you catch someone in the act, you discover them doing something wrong or committing a crime. The men were caught in the act of digging up buried explosives. PHRASE: V inflects 15. If someone who has been behaving badly cleans up their act, they start to behave in a more acceptable or responsible way. (INFORMAL) The nation's advertisers need to clean up their act. PHRASE: V inflects 16. If you get in on the act, you take part in or take advantage of something that was started by someone else. (INFORMAL) In the 1970s Kodak, anxious to get in on the act, launched its own instant camera. PHRASE: V inflects 17. You say that someone was in the act of doing something to indicate what they were doing when they were seen or interrupted. Ken was in the act of paying his bill when Neil came up behind him. PHRASE: v-link PHR -ing 18. If you get your act together, you organize your life or your affairs so that you are able to achieve what you want or to deal with something effectively. (INFORMAL) The Government should get its act together... PHRASE: V inflects 19. to act one's age: see age to act the fool: see fool

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Work, move, carry anything into effect, execute a purpose, be in action, be active, be in process, keep going, energize. 2. Behave, conduct one's self, demean one's self, acquit one's self, deport one's self. 3. Operate, have influence, be efficient, be efficacious, work, have effect, be operative. 4. Play a part, play, feign, dissimulate, pretend, make believe, dissemble. 5. Play parts, represent characters, make impersonations. II. v. a. 1. Do, perform, execute, carry into execution. 2. Personate, impersonate, represent, play, simulate, enact, play the part of, take the part of. 3. Be, realize, actualize, do the duties of, display the qualities of, have the essential character of. III. n. 1. Deed (viewed as a single exertion of power), performance, proceeding, exploit, feat, achievement, turn. See action, 2. 2. Statute, enactment, ordinance, edict, decree, law, bill. 3. Fact, reality, actuality, real existence. 4. Stage in the action (in a drama).

Airports

Landing Facility Type	AIRPORT
Airport Code	ACT
EFF_DATE	02/16/2006
FAA Region	ASW
FAA District	NONE
State	TX
State	TEXAS
County	MC LENNAN
County State	TX
City Name	WACO
Full Name	WACO REGIONAL
Owner Type	PU
Facility Use	PU
Facility City, State, Zip	"WACO, TX 76702-2570"
Elevation	516
Aeronautical chart on which the airport facility appears	SAN ANTONIO
Distance from the central business district of the associated city to the airport in nautical miles	05
Direction of airport from the central business district of the associated city	NW
Airport Certification Type and Date	I AS 05/1973
NASP/Federal Agreement Code	NGRY3
Customs international airport	N
Customs Landing Rights Airport	N
Joint Use	N
Military Landing Rights	Y
MIL_INT	R
Control Tower	Y
Based Single Engine General Aviation Aircraft	068
Based Multi-engine general aviation aircraft	023
Based Jet engine general aviation aircraft	003
Based Helicopters	002
Commercial Services	000212
Air Taxi	009646
General Aviation, Local Operations	006122
General Aviation - Itinerant Operations	009646
Military Aircraft Operations	004978
Latitude	31.6112883333
Longitude	-97.2305191667
State FIPS code	48
State Postal Code	TX
Total domestic enplanements (inbound plus outbound)	65213
Version	09

Moby Thesaurus

accomplish, accomplished fact, accomplishment, achieve, achievement, acquit, act, act a part, act as, act as foil, act out, acta, acting, action, actions, activism, activity, acts, address, adventure, affect, affectation, afterpiece, air, ape, appear, assume, barnstorm, be effective, be in action, be productive, bear, bearing, behave, behavior, behavior pattern, behavioral norm, behavioral science, bill, bit, blow, bluff, bring about, bring into being, bring to fruition, bylaw, canon, carriage, carry, cause, characterize, chaser, come out, comport, comportment, concurrent resolution, conduct, constitution, copy, counterfeit, coup, course, cover up, culture pattern, curtain, curtain call, curtain raiser, custom, dealings, decree, deed, demean, demeanor, deport, deportment, dictate, dictation, discourse, dissemble, dissimulate, divertimento, divertissement, do, doing, doings, edict, effectuate, effort, emote, emotionalize, employment, enact, enaction, enactment, endeavor, engineer, enterprise, epilogue, execute, exercise, exode, exodus, exploit, expository scene, fait accompli, fake, feat, feign, finale, folkway, form, formality, formula, formulary, four-flush, function, functioning, gammon, gest, gestures, get top billing, go, go on, goings-on, guise, hand, handiwork, have effect, have free play, have play, hoke act, impersonate, industrialize, institution, interlude, intermezzo, intermission, introduction, job, joint resolution, jus, law, lawmaking, legislation, legislature, let on, let on like, lex, maintien, make, make a pretense, make as if, make believe, make like, maneuver, manner, manners, masquerade, masquerade as, mass-produce, measure, method, methodology, methods, mien, militate, mime, mimic, misbehave, modus vivendi, motion, motions, move, movements, moves, number, observable behavior, occupation, officiate, operate, operation, operations, ordinance, ordonnance, overproduce, overt act, pantomime, pass for, passage, passing, patter, pattern, percolate, perform, performance, perk, personate, play, play a part, play possum, play the lead, playact, poise, port, portray, pose, pose as, posture, practice, praxis, prescript, prescription, presence, pretend, pretend to be, procedure, proceed, proceeding, process, produce, production, profess, prologue, put on, quit, react, realize, register, regulation, represent, res gestae, resolution, routine, rubric, rule, ruling, run, scene, serve, sham, shtick, simulate, sketch, skit, social science, song and dance, stand-up comedy act, standing order, star, statute, steal the show, step, stooge, striptease, stroke, stunt, style, swing, tactics, take, take effect, take off, thing, thing done, tick, tone, tour de force, transaction, tread the boards, troupe, turn, undertaking, upstage, volume-produce, way, way of life, ways, work, working, workings, works