▪ I. employ, n.
(ɛmˈplɔɪ)
Also 7–8 imploy.
[ad. F. emploi, n. of action f. employer to employ; = Sp. empleo, It. impiego.]
† 1. The action of employing a person or making use of a thing; = employment 1. Obs.
| 1666 Evelyn Mem. (1807) III. 184 Employ of chirurgeons. a 1694 A. Littleton in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xv. 5 The drone without a sting..wanting a tool for employ. 1829 Southey Sir T. More ii. 76 The application of gunpowder..was not brought into full employ, even after, etc. |
2. The state or fact of being employed; esp. that of serving an employer for wages. In phrases, in, out of, employ; in the employ of (the person employing).
| 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. xliii. 473 The first mention..of Thomas Sampson in publick employ. 1713 Guardian No. 158 We are obliged by duty to keep ourselves in constant employ. 1832 H. Martineau Homes Abroad ix. 114 New comers of their craft, or in their employ. 1841 Miall Nonconf. I. 391 Operatives out of employ. 1885 Act 48 & 49 Vict. c. 56 Preamb., To permit electors in his regular employ to absent themselves. |
3. Something on which a person or thing is employed; an employment, occupation. Now poet. or arch.
| 1680 Sir E. King in Academy 15 May 502/2 A better employ to exercise his courage. 1704 Swift T. Tub iv. 64 Peter put these bulls on several employs. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. II. s.v. Tree, Drunken Fellows..uncapable of so judicious Imploy. 1829 C. Welch Wesl. Polity 89 An assiduity worthy of a better employ. 1877 M. Arnold Poems II. 89 The wind-borne, mirroring soul..leaves its last employ. |
† b. A regular business or occupation; a trade or profession. Obs.
| 1678 Bunyan Pilgr. i. (1862) 114 To have but a poor imploy in the world. 1697 Potter Antiq. Greece i. xxvi. (1715) 169 That Ferry-man shall be prohibited the exercise of his employ, who overturns his boat. 1771 Wesley Wks. 1872 V. 297 Neglect of the worldly employ wherein..God has placed us. 1795 J. Aikin Manchester 238 From this variety of employ, population has more than doubled since 1772. |
† c. An official position in the public service.
| 1691 Luttrell Brief Rel. (1857) II. 210 Being putt out of an employ..at the custome house at Newcastle. 1691 Ray Creation ii. (1704) 241 Great Commands & Employs in the Dutch Colonies. a 1734 North Lives (1826) I. 76 Another employ fell to his Lordship's share. 1821 Byron Mar. Fal. ii. i. 113 The wariest of republics Has lavish'd all its chief employs upon him. |
▪ II. employ, v.
(ɛmˈplɔɪ)
Forms: 5 en-, 5– employ; also 6–8 imploy.
[a. F. employe-r (var. of OF. emplier: see imply, and cf. ploy, ply), a Com. Romanic word = Pr. impleiar, Cat. implegar, Sp. emplear, Pg. empregar, It. impiegare:—L. implicāre, f. in + plicāre to fold. Cf. imply.
The senses of this word (exc. 5, 6) are derived from the late L. sense of implicare ‘to bend or direct upon something’; the classical senses ‘enfold, involve’ are represented by imply.]
1. trans. To apply (a thing) to some definite purpose; to use as a means or instrument, or as material. Const. for, in, on, † to.
| α 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 433/4 Whan hir moder sawe the..lynnen cloth thus employed she was moche wroth. 1553 Brende Q. Curtius 109 (R.) When he beheld the boorde..employed to so base a use. 1624 Ld. Kensington in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 301. III. 173 To employ her credit with the king her son. 1671 tr. Frejus' Voy. Mauritania 5 To employ eight hundred Piastres for his expence. a 1704 Locke (J.), The timber employed about the plough. 1718 Free-thinker No. 65. 68 Employ the Prerogative only for their [the people's] Good. 1759 B. Martin Nat. Hist. Eng. I. Somerset 53 The soil of this Country is..employed in Grain and Pasturage. 1839 Landor Andrea Wks. 1846 II. 526 All have more knowledge than they will employ. 1856 Ruskin Mod. Paint. III. iv. iv. §11 Art was employed for the display of religious facts. |
| β c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. viii. (1885) 126 The kynges owne money, wich he mey than imploye to oþer vse. 153. Starkey Lett. 73 Imploing such giftys God hathe gyuen me. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commonw. (1603) 85 The hils..and river sides being onely imploied to vines. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 763 Heere Love his golden shafts imploies. 1689–92 Locke Toleration ii. Wks. 1727 II. 291 The best Design any one can imploy his Pen in. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 244 This Curse..Juno..imploy'd for Iö's Punishment. 1772 Priestley Inst. Relig. (1782) I. 413 The rest of the inclosure imployed in tillage. |
b. To apply, devote (effort, thought, etc.) to an object. (In later use merged in 4.)
| 1587 Harrison England ii. i. (1877) i. 37 To imploy their studies unto physike and the lawes. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. ii. viii. 43 And imploy your chiefest thoughts To courtship. 1683 Burnet tr. More's Utopia 128 All other Animals imploy their bodily Force one against another. 1784 J. Barry Lect. Art iii. (1848) 151 Any man..who would generously employ his whole undivided attention to it. |
c. To make use of (time, opportunities). Const. in, † to. In mod. use also (influenced by 4), ‘to fill with business’ (J.).
| α 1481 Caxton Myrr. i. v. 20 He..employed his tyme to studye. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cclxii. 387 What was best for them to do to employ forthe their season. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 185 How usefully you employ this glorious Recess. 1725 De Foe Voy. round W. (1840) 319 Those intervals were employed to..hunt for food. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. §27. 195 Having ten days at my disposal..I was anxious to employ them. |
| β 1621 G. Sandys Ovid's Met. iv. (1626) 77 Some in life-practiz'd Arts imploy their times. 1732 T. Lediard Sethos II. ix. 277 He imploy'd the whole time in raising enormous machines. |
† 2. To bestow (something) on a person. Obs. [So emploier in OF.]
| 1548 Gest Pr. Masse 104 Melchisedech..employing upon Abraham bred and wyne. 1598 Greene Jas. IV (1861) 190 What reward..May I employ on you for this your zeal? |
3. To use the services of (a person) in a professional capacity, or in the transaction of some special business; to have or maintain (persons) in one's service.
| α 1584 D. Powel Lloyd's Cambria 98 Emploied in affaires of the Commonwealth. 1771 Junius Lett. lix. 304 Let us employ these men in whatever departments their various abilities are best suited to. 1872 Raymond Statist. Mines & Mining 206 Scott & Co., employing nine men six months. 1872 Morley Voltaire (1886) 162 Lessing..was employed by Voltaire..in the Hirschel case. |
| β 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. i. i. 124, I must imploy you in some businesse Against our nuptiall. 1621 Frailty of Life in Farr S.P. Jas. I (1848) 201 To thinke, not one of those whome he imploy'd Should be aliue within one hundred yeares. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. iii. i. §2 Moses..writ as a person imployed by God. 1728 Newton Chronol. Amended ii. 224 Cinyras..imployed workmen in making armour. |
† b. To send (a person) with a commission to, towards (a person), to, into (a place); also, to employ out. Obs.
| α 1611 Shakes. Cymb. ii. iii. 68 We shall haue neede T' employ you towards this Romane. 1618 Bolton Florus iii. vi. 190 Publius Servilius was employd out against them. 1654 R. Codrington tr. Hist. Ivstine 289 The Lacedemonians, being unwilling to employ their forces into so remote a war. 1687 Good Advice 22 Bishop Usher was Employ'd to O. Cromwell by some of the Clergy. |
| β 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. v. ii. 70 To Cæsar I will speake, what you shall please, If you'l imploy me to him. 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 670 Iohn Wriothesley..was imployed into Scotland, and with him Northumberland Herauld. 1650 J. Howell Hist. Revol. Naples 56 He imployed besides into the Castle three Gentlemen of speciall parts. |
4. To find work or occupation for (a person, his bodily or mental powers); in pass. often merely to be occupied, to be at work. Const. about, in, on.
| α 1611 Bible Ezra x. 15 Were employed about this matter. 1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. i. iv. §19 He was principally employed farre off at Constantinople. 1713 Steele Englishm. No. 11. 73 Whoever is well employed is then at Prayers. 1772 Johnson Lett. (1788) I. l. 60 By showing how much I am employed upon you. 1850 M{supc}Cosh Div. Govt. ii. ii. (1874) 215 How can the whole soul be so nobly..employed? Mod. I cannot fully employ you. I found him employed in writing letters. Glad to see you so well employed. |
| β 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xxxiv. 208 Men, that are otherwise imployed. 1691–8 Norris Pract. Disc. IV. 191 All..imploy'd in the Contemplation of our Excellencies. 1704 Swift Batt. Bks. (1711) 262 He was imploy'd in drinking. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. II. 277 Imploying our Thoughts, upon the Occasions chosen by Our Lord. |
b. refl. To apply (obs.), busy, or occupy oneself.
| 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 113 Employe thyselfe to marcial feates. 1764 Reid Inquiry i. §2. (1785) 12 Castle-builders employ themselves..in romance. 1856 R. Vaughan Mystics (1860) I. 4 More of genius than common was required to teach a man how to employ himself. |
c. Said of the object to which attention is given.
| 1665 Boyle Occas. Refl. (1675) 25 Occasional Reflections..need not employ our hands. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 78 Their young Succession all their Cares employ. 1704 Pope Summer 47 Then might my voice thy list'ning ears employ. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. vii. §17. Wks. 1871 II. 317 Speculations to employ our curiosity. 1774 Goldsmith Grecian Hist. II. 170 Mithridates, who so long employed the Roman armies. 1833 H. Martineau Manch. Strike i. 13 A Pan's pipe employed his mouth. 1854 Tennyson Poems, To Rev. F. D. Maurice i, Come, when no graver cares employ. Mod. He needs something to employ his mind. |
† 5. = imply in various senses: a. To entwine, enclose, encircle. b. To involve, include, contain. c. To imply, signify. Obs.
| 1528 Fox in Pocock Rec. Ref. I. liii. 143 The causes..imployed so manifest justness. 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. i. Wks. (1557) 1146/2 We must expresse or imploy a condicion therin. 1579 Poore Knight's Palace B b, Crabbed Care, imployd with streeke of red. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's answ. Osor. 31 Which wordes do employ nothyng els, but that, etc. 1605 Chapman All Fooles Plays 1873 I. 134 Fortunio welcome, And in that welcome I imploy your wiues. 1606 Holland Sueton. 129 Passed a decree, that the day on which hee beganne his Empire should be called Palilia, imploying thereby..a second foundation of the Cittie. a 1626 Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law 31 Which interest of marriage went still imployed..in every tenure called knight's service. |
¶ 6. To supply. Obs. rare.
| 1668 Child Disc. Trade (1694) 172 It employs the Nation for its Consumption, with Pepper, Indigo, Calicoes. |