Adjacent Words

Apply definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

APPLY', v.t. [L. applico, of ad and plico, to fold or knit together; Gr. to knit, or twist; Eng. ply, display, and employ.]
1. To lay on; to put one thing to another; as, to apply the hand to the breast; to apply medicaments to a diseased part of the body.
2. To use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case; as, to apply a sum of money to the payment of a debt.
3. To put, refer or use, as suitable or relative to something; as, to apply the testimony to the case.
4. To fix the mind; to engage and employ with attention; as, apply thy heart to instruction.
5. To address or direct; as, "Sacred vows applied to Pluto."
6. To betake; to give the chief part of time and attention; as, to apply one's self to the study of botany. This is essentially the fourth sense.
7. To make application; to have recourse by request; as, to apply one's self to a counsellor for advice. This is generally used intransitively; as, to apply to a counsellor.
8. To busy; to keep at work; to ply. Obs.
[Superseded by ply, which see.]
APPLY' v.i.
1. To suit; to agree; to have some connection, agreement or analogy; as, this argument applies well to the case.
2. To make request; to solicit; to have recourse, with a view to gain something; as, to apply to the president for an office; I applied to a friend for information.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" [syn: use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ]
2: be pertinent or relevant or applicable; "The same laws apply to you!"; "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone" [syn: apply, hold, go for]
3: ask (for something); "He applied for a leave of absence"; "She applied for college"; "apply for a job"
4: apply to a surface; "She applied paint to the back of the house"; "Put on make-up!" [syn: put on, apply]
5: be applicable to; as to an analysis; "This theory lends itself well to our new data" [syn: lend oneself, apply] [ant: defy, refuse, resist]
6: give or convey physically; "She gave him First Aid"; "I gave him a punch in the nose" [syn: give, apply]
7: avail oneself to; "apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance" [syn: practice, apply, use]
8: ensure observance of laws and rules; "Apply the rules to everyone"; [syn: enforce, implement, apply] [ant: exempt, free, relieve]
9: refer (a word or name) to a person or thing; "He applied this racial slur to me!"
10: apply oneself to; "Please apply yourself to your homework"

Merriam Webster's

verb (applied; applying) Etymology: Middle English applien, from Anglo-French aplier, from Latin applicare, from ad- + plicare to fold — more at ply Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to put to use especially for some practical purpose <applies pressure to get what he wants> b. to bring into action <apply the brakes> c. to lay or spread on <apply varnish> d. to put into operation or effect <apply a law> 2. to employ diligently or with close attention <should apply yourself to your work> intransitive verb 1. to have relevance or a valid connection <this rule applies to freshmen only> 2. to make an appeal or request especially in the form of a written application <apply for a job> • applier noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. (-ies, -ied) 1 intr. (often foll. by for, to, or to + infin.) make a formal request for something to be done, given, etc. (apply for a job; apply for help to the governors; applied to be sent overseas). 2 intr. have relevance (does not apply in this case). 3 tr. a make use of as relevant or suitable; employ (apply the rules). b operate (apply the handbrake). 4 tr. (often foll. by to) a put or spread on (applied the ointment to the cut). b administer (applied the remedy; applied common sense to the problem). 5 refl. (often foll. by to) devote oneself (applied myself to the task). Derivatives: applier n. Etymology: ME f. OF aplier f. L applicare fold, fasten to

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Apply Ap*ply", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Applied; p. pr. & vb. n. Applying.] [OF. aplier, F. appliquer, fr. L. applicare to join, fix, or attach to; ad + plicare to fold, to twist together. See Applicant, Ply.] 1. To lay or place; to put or adjust (one thing to another); -- with to; as, to apply the hand to the breast; to apply medicaments to a diseased part of the body. He said, and the sword his throat applied. --Dryden. 2. To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case; to appropriate; to devote; as, to apply money to the payment of a debt. 3. To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relative; as, to apply the testimony to the case; to apply an epithet to a person. Yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied. --Milton. 4. To fix closely; to engage and employ diligently, or with attention; to attach; to incline. Apply thine heart unto instruction. --Prov. xxiii. 12. 5. To direct or address. [R.] Sacred vows . . . applied to grisly Pluto. --Pope. 6. To betake; to address; to refer; -- used reflexively. I applied myself to him for help. --Johnson. 7. To busy; to keep at work; to ply. [Obs.] She was skillful in applying his ``humors.'' --Sir P. Sidney. 8. To visit. [Obs.] And he applied each place so fast. --Chapman. Applied chemistry. See under Chemistry. Applied mathematics. See under Mathematics.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Apply Ap*ply", v. i. 1. To suit; to agree; to have some connection, agreement, or analogy; as, this argument applies well to the case. 2. To make request; to have recourse with a view to gain something; to make application. (to); to solicit; as, to apply to a friend for information. 3. To ply; to move. [R.] I heard the sound of an oar applying swiftly through the water. --T. Moore. 4. To apply or address one's self; to give application; to attend closely (to).

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(applies, applying, applied) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you apply for something such as a job or membership of an organization, you write a letter or fill in a form in order to ask formally for it. I am continuing to apply for jobs... They may apply to join the organization. VERB: V for n, V to-inf, also V to n for n 2. If you apply yourself to something or apply your mind to something, you concentrate hard on doing it or on thinking about it. Faulks has applied himself to this task with considerable energy... In spare moments he applied his mind to how rockets could be used to make money. VERB: V pron-refl to n/-ing, V n to n/wh, also V pron-refl 3. If something such as a rule or a remark applies to a person or in a situation, it is relevant to the person or the situation. The convention does not apply to us... The rule applies where a person owns stock in a corporation. VERB: no cont, V to n, V 4. If you apply something such as a rule, system, or skill, you use it in a situation or activity. The Government appears to be applying the same principle... His project is concerned with applying the technology to practical business problems. VERB: V n, V n to n 5. A name that is applied to someone or something is used to refer to them. Connell said a new medical term should be applied to Berg's actions. He calls it 'medicide'. VERB: be V-ed to n 6. If you apply something to a surface, you put it on or rub it into the surface. The right thing would be to apply direct pressure to the wound... Applying the dye can be messy, particularly on long hair. VERB: V n to n, V n 7. see also applied

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-pli': Purely an Old Testament term representing five Hebrew originals which signify respectively, "to enter," "to incline," "to give," "to go about," "to put or place," in each instance spoken of the heart in its attitude to wisdom (Ps 90:12 the King James Version); instruction (Pr 23:12); understanding (Pr 2:2); knowledge (Pr 22:17).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Lay upon, put or place upon. 2. Appropriate, use, employ, exercise, ply, convert to use, put to use. 3. Execute, carry out, put in practice. 4. Devote, dedicate, addict, direct, engage, turn attentively, bend with diligence. 5. Refer, make pertain, give direction upon. II. v. n. 1. Hold, hold good or true, fit or hit the case, come into play, be in point, be pertinent. 2. Make formal request, enroll one's self as a candidate, make suit, become a candidate.

Moby Thesaurus

accouter, accredit, address, administer, affix, allot, ally, appeal, appertain, apply for, apply to, appoint, appropriate, ascribe, ask, ask for, assign, associate, attach, attend, attribute, audition, authorize, bear, beg, beg leave, bend, beseech, bespeak, bestow, bid, bind, blanket, block, bracket, buckle down, call for, call on, call upon, canopy, carry out, cement, circulate a petition, cloak, clothe, cloud, commission, commit, concentrate, connect, cope, correlate, couple, cover, cover up, cowl, crave, credit, curtain, dedicate, demand, desire, devote, direct, do, dose, dose with, draw a parallel, dress up, drudge, eclipse, embellish, embrocate, employ, enforce, enforce upon, enrich, entreat, equate, equip, exercise, exploit, fasten, file for, film, finger, fit out, fix, focus, force, force upon, furbish, garnish, gear, give, glue, go, go after, grind, handle, hood, identify, implore, importune, impute, indent, interrelate, interview, lay on, lay over, link, make, make a request, make a requisition, make application, mantle, mask, memorialize, mete out to, muffle, name, nominate, obduce, obscure, occult, order, outfit, overlay, overspread, parallel, parallelize, pay attention, pertain, petition, place, pray, prefer a petition, prescribe for, press, put, put in, put in for, put in force, put in practice, put into execution, put on, put to use, put upon, recur, refer, register, relate, relativize, repair, request, requisition, rig, rub in, rub on, run, screen, scum, seek, set about, set off, shield, sign a petition, solicit, spread over, spruce up, stick, sue, suit, superimpose, superpose, supplicate, take on, tap, tend, throw, tie, toil, try out, turn, turn out, undertake, urge, use, utilize, veil, wed, whistle for, wish