ŏc'cu-pȳ1, v. t.
(54), v. t. [imp. & p. p. OCCUPIED; p. pr. & vb. n. OCCUPYING.] [Fr. occuper. See OCCUPATE.] 1. To take or hold in possession; to hold or keep for use; to possess. The better apartments were already occupied. W. Irving.
- To hold, or fill, the dimensions of; to take up; to possess; to cover or fill; as, the camp occupies five acres of ground.
- To employ; to use.
The archbishop may have occasion to occupy more chaplains than six. Eng. Statute. 4. To employ; to busy;—used reflexively. They occupied themselves about the Sabbath, yielding exceeding praise to the Lord. 2 Macc. viii. 29. 5. To follow, as a business; to be engaged with. All the ships of the sea, with their mariners, were in thee to occupy thy merchandise. Ezek. xxvii. 9. 6. To use; to expend. [Obs.] All the gold that was occupied for the work. Ex. xxxviii. 24. 7. To have sexual intercourse with; to know carnally. [Obs.] Nares.