Em-ploy'1, v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. EMPLOYED; p. pr. & vb. n. EMPLOYING.] [Fr. employer, Pr. empleiar, Sp. emplear, Pg. empregar, It. impiegare, from Lat. implicare, to fold into, to infold, involve, implicate, engage, from im, for in, in, and plicare, to fold; Fr. plier and ployer, Pr. & Sp. plegar, Pg. pregar, It. piegare. See DEPLOY, DISPLAY, APPLY.]
Sense 1. To inclose; to infold. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Sense 2. To involve in action of body or mind; to keep in service; to apply or devote to an object; to use or spend in occupation; to occupy; to use; as, to employ a day or week in something.
Day and night employed his busy pain. Spencer.
Sense 3. To use as an instrument or means for accomplishing some purpose, or as materials for forming any thing; as, to employ a pen in writing; to employ bricks for building.
Sense 4. To use as an agent, servant, or representative; to send on an errand; to commission; to intrust; as, to employ a domestic or an envoy. “Hath employed thither a servant.” B. Jonson.
To employ one's self, to apply or devote one's time and attention; to busy one's self.
Synonyms—See USE.