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Webster 1913 Edition

Exercise

Ex′er-cise

,
Noun.
[F.
exercice
, L.
exercitium
, from
exercere
,
exercitum
, to drive on, keep, busy, prob. orig., to thrust or drive out of the inclosure;
ex
out +
arcere
to shut up, inclose. See
Ark
.]
1.
The act of exercising; a setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use; habitual activity; occupation, in general; practice.
exercise of the important function confided by the constitution to the legislature.
Jefferson.
O we will walk this world,
Yoked in all
exercise
of noble end.
Tennyson.
2.
Exertion for the sake of training or improvement whether physical, intellectual, or moral; practice to acquire skill, knowledge, virtue, perfectness, grace, etc.
“Desire of knightly exercise.”
Spenser.
An
exercise
of the eyes and memory.
Locke.
The wise for cure on
exercise
depend.
Dryden.
4.
The performance of an office, a ceremony, or a religious duty.
Lewis refused even those of the church of England . . . the public
exercise
of their religion.
Addison.
To draw him from his holy
exercise
.
Shakespeare
5.
That which is done for the sake of exercising, practicing, training, or promoting skill, health, mental, improvement, moral discipline, etc.; that which is assigned or prescribed for such ends; hence, a disquisition; a lesson; a task;
as, military or naval
exercises
; musical
exercises
; an
exercise
in composition; arithmetic
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.
6.
That which gives practice; a trial; a test.
Patience is more oft the
exercise

Of saints, the trial of their fortitude.
Milton.
Exercise bone
(Med.)
,
a deposit of bony matter in the soft tissues, produced by pressure or exertion.

Ex′er-cise

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Exercised
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Exercising
.]
1.
To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to; to put in action habitually or constantly; to school or train; to exert repeatedly; to busy.
Herein do I
Exercise
myself, to have always a conscience void of offence.
Acts xxiv. 16.
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 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.
3.
To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious; to affect; to discipline;
as,
exercised
with pain
.
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Must
exercise
us without hope of end.
Milton.
4.
To put in practice; to carry out in action; to perform the duties of; to use; to employ; to practice;
as, to
exercise
authority; to
exercise
an office.
I am the Lord which
exercise
loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
Jer. ix. 24.
The people of the land have used oppression and
exercised
robbery.
Ezek. xxii. 29.

Ex′er-cise

,
Verb.
I.
To exercise one's self, as under military training; to drill; to take exercise; to use action or exertion; to practice gymnastics;
as, to
exercise
for health or amusement
.
I wear my trusty sword,
When I do
exercise
.
Cowper.

Webster 1828 Edition

Exercise

EX'ERCISE

,
Noun.
s as z. [L. exercitium, from exerceo; Eng. work.]
In a general sense, any kind of work, labor or exertion of body. Hence,
1.
Use; practice; the exertions and movements customary in the performance of business; as the exercise of an art, trade, occupation, or profession.
2.
Practice; performance; as the exercise of religion.
3.
Use; employment; exertion; as the exercise of the eyes or of the senses, or of any power of body or mind.
4.
Exertion of the body, as conducive to health; action; motion, by labor, walking, riding, or other exertion.
The wise for cure on exercise depend.
5.
Exertion of the body for amusement, or for instruction; the habitual use of the limbs for acquiring an art, dexterity, or grace, as in fencing, dancing, riding; or the exertion of the muscles for invigorating the body.
6.
Exertion of the body and mind or faculties for improvement, as in oratory, in painting or statuary.
7.
Use or practice to acquire skill; preparatory practice. Military exercises consist in using arms, in motions, marches and evolutions. Naval exercise consists in the use or management of artillery, and in the evolutions of fleets.
8.
Exertion of the mind; application of the mental powers.
9.
Task; that which is appointed for one to perform.
10. Act of divine worship.
11. A lesson or example for practice.

EX'ERCISE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. exerceo.]
1.
In a general sense, to move; to exert; to cause to act, in any manner; as, to exercise the body or the hands; to exercise the mind, the powers of the mind, the reason or judgment.
2.
To use; to exert; as, to exercise authority or power.
3.
To use for improvement in skill; as, to exercise arms.
4.
To exert one's powers or strength; to practice habitually; as, to exercise one's self in speaking or music.
5.
To practice; to perform the duties of; as, to exercise an office.
6.
To train to use; to discipline; to cause to perform certain acts, as preparatory to service; as, to exercise troops.
7.
To task; to keep employed; to use efforts.
Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and men. Acts.24.
8.
To use; to employ.
9.
To busy; to keep busy in action, exertion or employment.
10. To pain or afflict; to give anxiety to; to make uneasy.

EX'ERCISE

,
Verb.
I.
To use action or exertion; as, to exercise for health or amusement.

Definition 2024

exercise

exercise

English

Alternative forms

Noun

exercise ‎(plural exercises)

  1. Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
    The teacher told us the next exercise is to write an essay.‎
  2. Physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness.
    • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:
      This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.
  3. A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use.
    • Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)
      exercise of the important function confided by the constitution to the legislature
    • Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)
      O we will walk this world, / Yoked in all exercise of noble end.
  4. The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty.
    • Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
      Lewis refused even those of the church of England […] the public exercise of their religion.
    • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
      to draw him from his holy exercise
  5. (obsolete) That which gives practice; a trial; a test.
    • John Milton (1608-1674)
      Patience is more oft the exercise / Of saints, the trial of their fortitude.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

exercise ‎(third-person singular simple present exercises, present participle exercising, simple past and past participle exercised)

  1. To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop.
    to exercise troops or horses;  to exercise one's brain with a puzzle‎
  2. To perform physical activity for health or training.
    I exercise at the gym every day.‎
  3. To use (a right, an option, etc.); to put into practice.
    The tenant exercised its option to renew the tenancy.‎
    She is going to exercise her right to vote.‎
    • Bible, Ezekiel xxii. 29
      The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery.
  4. (now often in passive) To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious.
    exercised with pain‎
    • (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
      Where pain of unextinguishable fire / Must exercise us without hope of end.
  5. (obsolete) To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to.
    • Bible, Acts xxiv. 16
      Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence.
    • 1914, Louis Joseph Vance, Nobody, chapter I:
      Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.

Translations

Etymology

From Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -aɪz
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz/

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