exercise
English
Alternative forms
- exercice (obsolete; noun senses only)
Etymology
From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium.
Pronunciation
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- Hyphenation: ex‧er‧cise
Audio (US): (file)
Noun
exercise (countable and uncountable, plural exercises)
- (countable) Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
- The teacher told us that the next exercise is to write an essay.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 25:
- Where noyse of armes, or vew of martiall guize / Might not reuiue desire of knightly exercize.
- 1693, [John Locke], “§178”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
- an exercise of the eyes and memory
- (countable, uncountable) Activity intended to improve physical, or sometimes mental, strength and fitness.
- Swimming is good exercise.
- I like to do my exercises every morning before breakfast.
- I do crosswords for mental exercise.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.
- 2018, Timothy R. Jennings, The Aging Brain, →ISBN, page 107:
- Regular mental exercise keeps the circuits of the brain active and healthy and reduces the risk of dementia.
- A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use.
- The law guarantees us the free exercise of our rights.
- December 8, 1801, Thomas Jefferson, first annual message
- exercise of the important function confided by the constitution to the legislature
- 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
- O we will walk this world, / Yoked in all exercise of noble end.
- The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty.
- I assisted the ailing vicar in the exercise of his parish duties.
- 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
- Lewis […] refused even those of the church of England […] the public exercise of their religion.
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- (obsolete) That which gives practice; a trial; a test.
- 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 77:
- But patience is more oft the exerciſe / Of Saints, the trial of thir fortitude,
Derived terms
Related terms
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Translations
any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability
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physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
exercise (third-person singular simple present exercises, present participle exercising, simple past and past participle exercised)
- To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop.
- to exercise troops or horses; to exercise one's brain with a puzzle
- (intransitive) To perform physical activity for health or training.
- I exercise at the gym every day.
- (transitive) To use (a right, an option, etc.); to put into practice.
- The tenant exercised his option to renew the tenancy.
- She is going to exercise her right to vote.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 22:29:
- The people of the land haue vsed oppression, and exercised robbery, and haue vexed the poore and needie: yea, they haue oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
- (now often in passive) To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious.
- exercised with pain
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- (obsolete) To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 24:16:
- And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
- Template:RQ:Vance Nobody
Derived terms
- exercised (adj.)
- exerciser
- exercising (n.)
- unexercised
Translations
exert for the sake of training
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perform physical activity
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use; put into practice
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occupy the attention and effort of
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take action, enforce
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
See also
Further reading
- “exercise”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “exercise”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
See also
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂erk-
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- English transitive verbs
- en:Exercise