apply
verbUK, US [əˈplaɪ] · UK [əˈplɑj]
Etymology Inherited from Middle English aplien, borrowed from Old French applier, from Latin applicō, from ad- + plicō (“fold; arrive”). See applicant, ply.
10 senses
- 1To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)
- 2To put to use; to use or employ for a particular…
- 3To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable…
- 4To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently…
- 5To work diligently and attentively.
- 6To address oneself; to refer.
- 7To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition…
- 8To pertain or be relevant.
- 9To busy; to keep at work; to ply.
- 10To visit.
1
To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)
- to apply cream to a rash
- He said, and to the sword his throat applied.1697, John Dryden, Translation of Virgil's Aeneid:
2
To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case
- to apply funds to the repayment of a debt
3
To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relevant.
- We need to apply the skills we’ve learned to solve this problem.
- Yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied.1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
4
To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently or with attention.
- Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 23:12:
5
To work diligently and attentively.
- My parents say I could do well in school if I would apply myself.
6
Usually To address oneself; to refer.
- sacred vows […] applied to grisly Pluto1725, Homer, “Book X”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume III, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
- On applying to the assessors, I am surprised to learn that they cannot at once name a dozen in the town who own their farms free and clear.1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC:
7
To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" or "at" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).
- I recently applied to the tavern for a job as a bartender.
- Most of the colleges she applied to were ones she thought she had a good chance of getting into.
2 more examples
- Many of them don't know it, but almost a third of the inmates are eligible to apply for parole or work-release programs.
- Southern Pacific Communications Co. (SP) has applied to the FCC for approval of the first coast-to-coast digital data transmission service.1974 August 7, Ronald A. Frank, “SP Seeks Approval for Coast-to-Coast Digital Net”, in Computerworld, page 15:
8
To pertain or be relevant.
- That rule only applies to foreigners.
9
Obsolete To busy; to keep at work; to ply.
- She was no less skillful in applying his humours.a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC:
10
Obsolete To visit.
- His armour was so clear, And he applied each place so fast, that like a lightning thrown Out of the shield of Jupiter, in every eye he shone.[1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC:
- Derived terms
- appliable, appliance, applicable, applicant, applicate, application, applicatory, applier, appliment, applyingly, apply oneself, coapply, deapply, disapply, mass-apply, misappliance, misapply, nonapplying, overapply, preapply, reapply, unapply, underapply