employ

2 entries found for employ.
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employ[1,transitive verb] employ[2,noun]

Main Entry: ¹em·ploy
Pronunciation: im-'ploi, em-
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English emploien, from Anglo-French empleier, emploier, emplier to entangle, apply, make use of, from Latin implicare to enfold, involve, from in- + plicare to fold -- more at PLY
1 a : to make use of (someone or something inactive) <employ a pen for sketching> b : to use (as time) advantageously <a job that employed her skills> c (1) : to use or engage the services of (2) : to provide with a job that pays wages or a salary <a company that employs fifty>
2 : to devote to or direct toward a particular activity or person <employed all her energies to help the poor>
synonym see USE
- em·ploy·er noun