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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

3 entries under this word

Exercise

Ex’er-cise, n.

noun

(ēks’er-sīz), n. [Fr. exercice, Pr. exercici, exercisi, Sp. & Pg. exercicio, It. esercizio, Lat. exercitium, from exercere, exercitum, to drive on, keep busy, originally probably to thrust or drive out of the inclosure, from ex, out, and arcere, to shut up, inclose.]

  1. The act of exercising; a setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; employment; application; use. “An exercise of the eyes and memory.” Locke.
  2. The act of putting in practice; a carrying out in action, or performing the duties of any thing, as of an art, a profession, trade, and the like; performance; practice. “The exercise of the legislative power.” Ludlow.
  3. The performance of a public office or ceremony, especially of religious worship.

Lewis refused even those of the church of England . . . the public exercise of their religion. Addison.

  1. Exertion for the sake of training or improvement; practice in order to acquire skill or ease, and the like. “Desire of knightly exercise.” Spenser.
  2. Exertion or action of the body for the sake of keeping its organs and functions in a healthy state; hygienic activity; as, to take exercise on horseback; violent exercise.

The wise for cure on exercise depend. Dryden. 6. That which is done for the sake of exercising, practicing, training, or promoting health, mental improvement, and the like; that which is assigned or prescribed for such ends; hence, a disquisition; a lesson; a task; as, military or naval exercises. The clumsy exercises of the European tourney. Prescott. He seems to have taken a degree, and performed public exercises in Cambridge, in 1565. Brydges. 7. That which gives practice; a trial. Patience is more oft the exercise Of saints, the trial of their fortitude. Shak.

Ĕx'er·cīse, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. EXERCISED; p. pr. & vb. n. EXERCISING.] [From the noun; Fr., Sp., & Pg. exercer, Pr. exercir, It. esercere.]

Sense 1. To set in action; to cause to act, move, or exert one's self; to give employment to; hence, to put in action habitually or constantly; to school or train; to exert; to busy.

Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense. Acts xxiv. 16.

Sense 2. To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop; hence, also, to improve by practice; to discipline, and to use or to perform for the purpose of training; as, to exercise arms; to exercise one's self in music; to exercise troops.

About him exercised heroic games The unarmed youth. Milton.

Sense 3. To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax; especially in a painful or vexatious manner, to harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious; to afflict; as, exercised with pain.

Where pain of unextinguishable fire Must exercise us without hope of end. Milton.

Sense 4. To put in practice; to carry out in action; to perform the duties of; to use; to employ; as, to exercise authority; to exercise an office.

Ex'er-cīse, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. To exercise one's self; to take exercise or practice; to use action or exertion; as, to exercise for health or amusement.