employ
[ em-ploi ]
/ ɛmˈplɔɪ /
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verb (used with object)
to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service: This factory employs thousands of people.
to keep busy or at work; engage the attentions of: He employs himself by reading after work.
to make use of (an instrument, means, etc.); use; apply: to employ a hammer to drive a nail.
to occupy or devote (time, energies, etc.): I employ my spare time in reading. I employ all my energies in writing.
noun
employment; service: to be in someone's employ.
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Origin of employ
1425–75; late Middle English employen<Anglo-French, Middle French emploier ≪ Latin implicāre to enfold (Late Latin: to engage); see implicate
OTHER WORDS FROM employ
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for employ
British Dictionary definitions for employ
employ
/ (ɪmˈplɔɪ) /
verb (tr)
to engage or make use of the services of (a person) in return for money; hire
to provide work or occupation for; keep busy; occupycollecting stamps employs a lot of his time
to use as a meansto employ secret measures to get one's ends
noun
the state of being employed (esp in the phrase in someone's employ)
Derived forms of employ
employable, adjectiveemployability, nounWord Origin for employ
C15: from Old French emploier, from Latin implicāre to entangle, engage, from plicāre to fold
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