practise

English[edit]

From Middle English practizen, a variant of practisen, from Middle French pratiser, practiser, from Medieval Latin practizo, from Late Latin practico (“to do, perform, execute, propose, practise, exercise, be conversant with, contrive, conspire, etc.”), from prāctica (“practical affairs", "business”), from Ancient Greek πρᾱκτική (prāktikḗ), from πρᾱκτικός (prāktikós, “practical”), from πρᾱ́σσειν (prā́ssein, “to do”).

practise (third-person singular simple present practises, present participle practising, simple past and past participle practised) (Commonwealth of Nations)

(transitive) To repeat as a way of improving one's skill in that activity.

You should practise playing piano every day.
(intransitive) To repeat an activity in this way.

If you want to speak French well, you need to practise.
(transitive) To perform or observe in a habitual fashion.

They gather to practise religion every Saturday.
(transitive) To pursue (a career, especially law, fine art or medicine).

She practised law for forty years before retiring.
(intransitive, obsolete) To conspire.
To put into practice; to carry out; to act upon; to commit; to execute; to do.
- Shakespeare
  
  Aught but Talbot's shadow whereon to practise your severity.
- Alexander Pope
  
  As this advice ye practise or neglect.
To make use of; to employ.
- Massinger
  
  In malice to this good knight's wife, I practised Ubaldo and Ricardo to corrupt her.
To teach or accustom by practice; to train.
- Landor
  
  In church they are taught to love God; after church they are practised to love their neighbour.

In sense "to repeat an activity as a way improving one's skill" this is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

practice — see practice

practise (plural practises)