Exercise definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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Definitions (53)

American Heritage Dictionary (15)

noun An act of employing or putting into play; use: the free exercise of intellect; the exercise of an option.
noun The discharge of a duty, function, or office.
noun Activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness: took an hour of vigorous daily exercise at a gym.

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Century Dictionary (25)

A carrying on or out in action; active performance or fulfilment; a physical or mental doing or practising: used of the continued performance of the functions, or observance of the requirements, of the subject of the action: as, the exercise of an art, a trade, or an office; the exercise of religion, of patience, etc. To vex them, he appoints a Fair to be kept at Westminster, forbidding under great Penalty all Exercise of Merchandize within London for fifteen Days. Baker, Chronicles, p. 82. She [the queen] is also allowed 28 Ecclesiastics of any Order, except Jesuits; a Bishop for her Almoner, and to have private Exercise of her Religion for her and her Servants. Howell, Letters, I. iv. 22. He [God] cannot but love virtue, wherever it is, and reward it, and annex happiness always to the exercise of it. Bp. Atterbury, Sermons, I. xi.
Voluntary action of the body or mind; exertion of any faculty; practice in the employment of the physical or mental powers: used absolutely, or with reference to the reflex effect of the action upon the actor: as, to take exercise in the open air; corporeal or spiritual exercise; violent, hurtful, pleasurable, or healthful exercise. Bodily exercise profiteth little. 1 Tim. iv. 8. To choke his days With barbarous ignorance, and deny his youth The rich advantage of good exercise. Shak., K. John, iv. 2. The joy, the danger, and the toil o'erpays; 'Tis exercise and health and length of days. Cowper, Progress of Error, l. 91. There is a back yard to it, with a high stone wall round it, where a couple of prisoners might easily get a little exercise unseen. W. Black, In Far Lochaber, xxi.
A specific mode or employment of activity; an exertion of one or more of the physical or mental powers; practice in the use of a faculty or the faculties, as for the attainment of skill or facility, the accomplishment of a purpose, or the like: as, an exercise in horsemanship; exercises of the memory; outdoor exercises. He was strong of body, and so much the stronger, as he, by a well-disciplined exercise, taught it both to do and to suffer. Sir P. Sidney. For hunting was his daily exercise. Shak., 3 Hen. VI., iv. 6. What more manly exercise than hunting the Wild Boar? I. Walton, Complete Angler, p. 30. Patience is more oft the exercise Of saints, the trial of their fortitude. Milton, S. A., l. 1287. Natural philosophy was considered in the light merely of a mental exercise. Macaulay, Lord Bacon. But for the unquiet heart and brain, A use in measured language lies; The sad mechanic exercise, Like dull narcotics, numbing pain. Tennyson, In Memoriam, v.

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Palmer, a USFK spokesman, said reports that 26,000 U.S. servicemembers have come to South Korea for the exercise are a "mischaracterization." — Latest Articles
Among Marines in South Korea for the exercise is a security platoon at Chinhae Naval Base in the peninsula's southeast, holding base defense drills with sailors stationed there. — Stars and Stripes
Nigerians watched in trepidation as the exercise was almost turned into a huge circus.
The outcome of this exercise will be a "parsing" strategy that will enable you to time your "equity rounds" with increases in value of venture. — Inc.com
The output of this exercise was a detailed description of the water resources functions and key Resource Stresses (RS) issues. — Recently Uploaded Slideshows

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practice · train · activity · effort · use · discipline · measure · lesson · habit

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exercise: exercises · exercising · exercised

Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Middle English, from Old French exercice, from Latin exercitium, from exercitus, past participle of exercēre, to exercise : ex-, ex- + arcēre, to restrain.

Century Dictionary (2)

from Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, French exercise = Provencal exercicí, exercisi = Spanish ejercicio = Portuguese exercicio = Italian esercizio = Dutch exercitie = German exercitium = Danish exercits = Swedish exercis, from Latin exercitium, exercise (training of soldiers, horsemen, etc.), play, Middle Latin also use, art, etc., from exercitus, past participle of exercere, exercise, reflexive exercise oneself, practise: see exerce.
from Middle English exercisen, exercysen, from exercise, n. For the older and orig. verb, see exerce.

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