exercise
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz/
- Hyphenation: ex‧er‧cise
Audio (US): (file)
Noun
exercise (countable and uncountable, plural exercises)
- (countable) Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
- The teacher told us that the next exercise is to write an essay.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 25:
- Where noyse of armes, or vew of martiall guize / Might not reuiue desire of knightly exercize.
- 1693, [John Locke], “§178”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
- an exercise of the eyes and memory
- (countable, uncountable) Activity intended to improve physical, or sometimes mental, strength and fitness.
- Swimming is good exercise.
- I like to do my exercises every morning before breakfast.
- I do crosswords for mental exercise.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
- 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.
- 2018, Timothy R. Jennings, The Aging Brain, →ISBN, page 107:
- Regular mental exercise keeps the circuits of the brain active and healthy and reduces the risk of dementia.
- A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use.
- The law guarantees us the free exercise of our rights.
- December 8, 1801, Thomas Jefferson, first annual message
- exercise of the important function confided by the constitution to the legislature
- 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
- O we will walk this world, / Yoked in all exercise of noble end.
- The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty.
- I assisted the ailing vicar in the exercise of his parish duties.
- 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
- Lewis […] refused even those of the church of England […] the public exercise of their religion.
- c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]:
- He doth entreat your Grace, my noble lord, To visit him tomorrow or next day. To draw him from his holy exercise.
- (obsolete) That which gives practice; a trial; a test.
- 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 77:
- But patience is more oft the exerciſe / Of Saints, the trial of thir fortitude,
Derived terms
- aquacise
- boxercise
- Brandt-Daroff exercise
- compound exercise
- cyberexercise
- dancercise
- deskercise
- ekker
- exercise ball
- exercise bicycle
- exercise bike
- exercise bone
- exercise book
- exercise bulimia
- exercise cycle
- exercise for the reader
- exercise in futility
- exercise machine
- exercise price
- exercise regime
- exercise track
- exercisewear
- exercise wheel
- exercisible
- exercycle
- exergame
- exergaming
- exertainment
- five-finger exercise
- five finger exercise
- floor exercise
- free-exercise clause
- in-basket exercise
- in-tray exercise
- jazzercise
- low exercise price option
- manual exercise
- military exercise
- nonexercise
- postexercise
- preexercise
- rebound exercise
- run for the exercise
- sexercise
- training exercise
- vacuum exercise
- watercise
Related terms
Translations
any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability
|
physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Verb
exercise (third-person singular simple present exercises, present participle exercising, simple past and past participle exercised)
- 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
- (intransitive) To perform physical activity for health or training.
- I exercise at the gym every day.
- (transitive) To use (a right, an option, etc.); to put into practice.
- The tenant exercised his option to renew the tenancy.
- She is going to exercise her right to vote.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 22:29:
- The people of the land haue vsed oppression, and exercised robbery, and haue vexed the poore and needie: yea, they haue oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
- (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
- 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 88–89:
- Where pain of unextinguiſhable fire / Muſt exerciſe us without hope of end
- (obsolete) To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 24:16:
- And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
- 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), page 373, column 2:
- Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.
Derived terms
Translations
exert for the sake of training
|
perform physical activity
|
use; put into practice
|
occupy the attention and effort of
|
take action, enforce
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also
See also
Further reading
- “exercise”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “exercise”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
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