Library / English Dictionary

EMPLOY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The state of being employed or having a job

Example:

he was in the employ of the city

Synonyms:

employ; employment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("employ" is a kind of...):

state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)

Derivation:

employ (engage or hire for work)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Example:

He doesn't know how to use a computer

Synonyms:

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Cause:

apply; go for; hold (be pertinent or relevant or applicable)

Verb group:

apply; practice; use (avail oneself to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "employ"):

fall back; recur; resort (have recourse to)

implement (apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design)

put to work; work (cause to work)

share (use jointly or in common)

take (travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route)

enjoy (have benefit from)

exercise; exert (put to use)

extend; strain (use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity)

exploit; tap (draw from; make good use of)

exploit; work (use or manipulate to one's advantage)

recycle; reprocess; reuse (use again after processing)

commit; consecrate; dedicate; devote; give (give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause)

play (employ in a game or in a specific position)

play (use or move)

pull out all the stops (use all resources available)

assign; put (attribute or give)

ply (use diligently)

address (address or apply oneself to something, direct one's efforts towards something, such as a question)

waste (use inefficiently or inappropriately)

misapply; misuse (apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly)

avail (use to one's advantage)

overdrive; overuse (make use of too often or too extensively)

cannibalise; cannibalize (use parts of something to repair something else)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They employ the animals

Derivation:

employment (the act of using)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Engage or hire for work

Example:

How many people has she employed?

Synonyms:

employ; engage; hire

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "employ"):

featherbed (hire more workers than are necessary)

fill (appoint someone to (a position or a job))

engage (ask to represent; of legal counsel)

ship (hire for work on a ship)

contract; sign; sign on; sign up (engage by written agreement)

rat (employ scabs or strike breakers in)

farm out; job; subcontract (arranged for contracted work to be done by others)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

employ (the state of being employed or having a job)

employee (a worker who is hired to perform a job)

employer (a person or firm that employs workers)

employment (the act of giving someone a job)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Have regular hours for work and play, make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"While both promotion and prevention focused individuals will be motivated to maintain good health, the former are more likely to employ approach strategies such as nutritional involvement.

(People with Positive Attitude More Likely to Eat Healthily, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

But who else was there to employ?

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Nonetheless, the researchers are also quick to point out that certain styles of humour may be employed to conceal negative intentions and feelings.

(Self-defeating humour promotes psychological well-being, University of Granada)

The findings from a microscopic study of characteristic tissue abnormalities by employing various cytochemical and immunocytochemical stains.

(Performed Histopathology, NCI Thesaurus)

Denotes a person of advanced education, ability, or seniority employed by an organization.

(On Staff, NCI Thesaurus)

I derived benefit from the task: it had kept my head and hands employed, and had given force and fixedness to the new impressions I wished to stamp indelibly on my heart.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

A modified version of the NHL-BFM 90 regimen, employing a different methotrexate dosing schedule, used for the treatment of localized aggressive forms of childhood B-cell lymphoma, including lymphoblastic lymphoma.

(NHL-BFM-95 Regimen, NCI Thesaurus)

In pathology, the microscopic process of identifying normal and abnormal morphologic characteristics in tissues, by employing various cytochemical and immunocytochemical stains.

(Histology, NCI Thesaurus)

A classification of the good laboratory practices employed in a study.

(Good Laboratory Practice Type, NCI Thesaurus)