study

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act or process of studying.
2. n. The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research.
3. n. Attentive scrutiny.
4. n. A branch of knowledge.
5. n. A branch or department of learning: graduate studies.
6. n. A work, such as a thesis, that results from studious endeavor.
7. n. A literary work on a particular subject.
8. n. A preliminary sketch, as for a work of art or literature.
9. n. Music A composition intended as a technical exercise.
10. n. A state of mental absorption: She is in a deep study.
11. n. A room intended or equipped for studying or writing.
12. n. One who memorizes something, especially a performer who memorizes a part: He is a quick study.
13. v. To apply one's mind purposefully to the acquisition of knowledge or understanding of (a subject).
14. v. To read carefully.
15. v. To memorize.
16. v. To take (a course) at a school.
17. v. To inquire into; investigate.
18. v. To examine closely; scrutinize.
19. v. To give careful thought to; contemplate: study the next move.
20. v. To apply oneself to learning, especially by reading.
21. v. To pursue a course of study.
22. v. To ponder; reflect.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Eagerness; earnestness; zeal.
2. n. Zealous endeavor; studied effort, aim, or purpose; deliberate contrivance or intention.
3. n. The mental effort of understanding, appreciating, and assimilating anything, especially a book; the earnest and protracted examination of a question, by reflection, collection and scrutiny of evidence, and otherwise; the pursuit of learning.
4. n. An exercise in learning or the pursuit of knowledge; an act or course of intellectual acquisition, as by memorizing words, facts, or principles: as, the actor's study was very rapid; also, an effort to gain an understanding of something; a particular course of learning, inquiry, or investigation: as, to pursue the study of physics or of a language; to make a study of trade, of a case at law, or of a man's life or character.
5. n. That which is studied or to be studied; a branch of learning; a subject of acquired or desired knowledge; a matter for investigation or meditation.
6. n. A state of mental inquiry or cogitation; debate or counsel with one's self; deep meditation; a muse; a quandary.
7. n. Theat., one who studies or learns; a studier; specifically, a memorizer of a part for the theater; an actor as a memorizer.
8. n. In music, a composition, usually instrumental, having something of the instructive and gymnastic purpose of an exercise combined with a certain amount of artistic value; an étude. An elaborate work of this class, combining great technical difficulty with decided artistic interest, is often called a concert study.
9. n. Something done as an exercise in learning, or in special study or observation; specifically, in art, a sketch or performance executed as an educational exercise, as a memorandum or record of observations or effects, or as a guide for a finished production: as, the story is a study of morbid passion; a study of a head for a painting.
10. n. A room in a dwelling-house or other building set apart for private study, reading, writing, or any similar occupation; by extension, the private room or office of the master of a house, however it may be used.
11. n. Synonyms Research, inquiry, investigation.
12. n. Reflection.
13. To exercise the mind in learning; apply one's self to the acquisition of knowledge; acquire knowledge and mental training, as by memorizing words, facts, or principles.
14. To exercise the mind in considering or contriving; deliberate upon or about something; ponder.
15. To muse; meditate; cogitate; reflect; revolve thoughts or ideas: used absolutely.
16. To endeavor studiously or thoughtfully; use studied or careful efforts; be diligent or zealous; plan; contrive: as, to study for peace or for the general good.
17. To prosecute a regular course of study, as that prescribed to prepare one for the exercise of a profession: as, to study for the bar, or for the church or ministry.
18. To seek to learn by memorizing the facts, principles, or words of; apply the mind to learning; store in the memory, either generally or verbatim: as, to study a book, a language, history, etc.; to study a part in a play or a piece for recitation.
19. To seek to ascertain or to learn the particulars of, as by observation or inquiry; make a study of; inquire into; investigate: as, to study a man's character or the customs of society; to study the geology of a region, or a case of disease.
20. To consider in detail; deliberate upon; think out: as, to study the best way of doing something; to study a discourse or a compliment.
21. To regard attentively or discriminatingly; consider as to requirements, character, quality, use, effect, or the like; pay distinguishing attention to: as, to study one's own interests; to study the effect of one's actions; to study a person; to study a drapery or a model in art.
22. To look at musingly, as in a brown study.
23. To apply the mind to learning (a specific science or branch of science), especially with the object of preparing for the exercise of a profession: as, the one is studying medicine, the other theology.
24. To subject to study; carry through a course of learning; educate; instruct.
25. To think out deliberately; arrange definitely in the mind; determine the details of: as, I have studied out a plan; to study out a set of rules.
26. To seek or get a knowledge of by observation or consideration; observe or reflect upon critically; make up one's mind about: as, to study up a person or a man's character; to study up arguments or reasons.
27. Synonyms To scrutinize, search into.
28. To reflect upon, meditate, ponder.
29. To contemplate.
30. n. Another spelling of stiddy, a variant of stithy.

Wiktionary

1. v. To revise materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for an examination.
2. v. academic To take a course or courses on a subject.
3. v. To acquire knowledge on a subject.
4. v. To look at minutely.
5. n. obsolete A state of mental perplexity or worried thought.
6. n. archaic Thought, as directed to a specific purpose; one's concern.
7. n. Mental effort to acquire knowledge or learning.
8. n. The act of studying; examination.
9. n. A room in a house intended for reading and writing; traditionally the private room of the male head of household.
10. n. An artwork made in order to practise or demonstrate a subject or technique.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A setting of the mind or thoughts upon a subject; hence, application of mind to books, arts, or science, or to any subject, for the purpose of acquiring knowledge.
2. n. Mental occupation; absorbed or thoughtful attention; meditation; contemplation.
3. n. Any particular branch of learning that is studied; any object of attentive consideration.
4. n. A building or apartment devoted to study or to literary work.
5. n. (Fine Arts) A representation or rendering of any object or scene intended, not for exhibition as an original work of art, but for the information, instruction, or assistance of the maker.
6. n. (Mus.) A piece for special practice. See Etude.
7. v. To fix the mind closely upon a subject; to dwell upon anything in thought; to muse; to ponder.
8. v. To apply the mind to books or learning.
9. v. To endeavor diligently; to be zealous.
10. v. To apply the mind to; to read and examine for the purpose of learning and understanding.
11. v. To consider attentively; to examine closely.
12. v. To form or arrange by previous thought; to con over, as in committing to memory.
13. v. To make an object of study; to aim at sedulously; to devote one's thoughts to.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. give careful consideration to
2. n. a branch of knowledge
3. v. be a student of a certain subject
4. v. learn by reading books
5. v. consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning
6. n. a written document describing the findings of some individual or group
7. n. a composition intended to develop one aspect of the performer's technique
8. n. someone who memorizes quickly and easily (as the lines for a part in a play)
9. n. preliminary drawing for later elaboration
10. n. attentive consideration and meditation
11. n. a detailed critical inspection
12. v. think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes
13. n. a room used for reading and writing and studying
14. n. applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject (especially by reading)
15. v. be a student; follow a course of study; be enrolled at an institute of learning
16. n. a state of deep mental absorption