Definitions for employ
ɛmˈplɔɪem·ploy

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. employment, employ(verb)

   the state of being employed or having a job

   "they are looking for employment"; "he was in the employ of the city"

2. use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ(verb)

   put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

   "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"

3. hire, engage, employ(verb)

   engage or hire for work

   "They hired two new secretaries in the department"; "How many people has she employed?"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. employ(Noun)

   The state of being an employee; employment.

   The school district has six thousand teachers in its employ.

2. employ(Verb)

   To give someone work or a job.

3. employ(Verb)

   To put something into use or service; to make use of.

   How do you employ your spare time?

Webster Dictionary(3.67 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Employ(verb)

   to inclose; to infold

2. Employ(verb)

   to use; to have in service; to cause to be engaged in doing something; -- often followed by in, about, on, or upon, and sometimes by to; as: (a) To make use of, as an instrument, a means, a material, etc., for a specific purpose; to apply; as, to employ the pen in writing, bricks in building, words and phrases in speaking; to employ the mind; to employ one's energies

3. Employ(verb)

   to occupy; as, to employ time in study

4. Employ(verb)

   to have or keep at work; to give employment or occupation to; to intrust with some duty or behest; as, to employ a hundred workmen; to employ an envoy

5. Employ(noun)

   that which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular service or business; employment

Origin: [Cf. F. emploi.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Employ

   em-ploy′, v.t. to occupy the time or attention of: to use as a means or agent: to give work to.—n. a poetical form of employment.—adj. Employ′able, that may be employed.—ns. Employ′é, one who is employed:—fem. Employ′ée; Employēē′, a person employed; Employ′er; Employ′ment, act of employing: that which engages or occupies: occupation. [Fr. employer—L. implicāre, to infold—in, in, and plicāre, to fold. Imply and implicate are parallel forms.]

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'employ' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3832

2. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'employ' in Verbs Frequency: #269

How to pronounce employ?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say employ in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of employ in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of employ in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of employ in a Sentence

1. Douglas William Jerrold:

   The sharp employ the sharp.

2. Chinese Proverb:

   Do not employ handsome servants.

3. Sallust:

   We employ the mind to rule, the body to serve.

4. Benjamin Franklin:

   Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure.

5. Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

   One loses all the time which he might employ to better purpose.

Images & Illustrations of employ

Popularity rank by frequency of use