▪ I. † exercite, n.1 Obs.
Also 5 excercyte, -syte, exeercyte.
[a. OF. exercite, ad. L. exercitus army (u stem), action of exercising, hence concr., f. exercēre: see exerce v.]
An army, host.
| 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 21 In that tyme were baptysed..thre thousand men of hys excersyte. 1490 ― Eneydos xxii. 83 He sawe the felawes of the Emmendes and alle their excercyte. c 1490 Blanchardyn (1890) 9 He arryued wyth alle his Exeercyte nyghe to the oost of Subyon. 1550 J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Herald §72 (1877) 81 Wyllyam Conquerour..passed, with his exercite of the noble Englyshemen, into Fraunce. |
▪ II. † eˈxercite, n.2 Obs.
Forms: 5 excersite, -yte, 5–6 exercite, -citie, -cyte.
[a. OF. exercite, of obscure formation; perh. f. exerciter (see exercite v.); possibly ad. L. exercitus (see prec.).]
In various senses of exercise n. Drilling (of soldiers); practice (of virtue, etc.); occupation (of time); discharge (of the duties of an office); also, exercite of = practices preparatory to.
| 1485 Caxton Chas. Gt. 20 It is tyme..to forsake the false goddes..whyche..do no thynge but excersite of dampnacyon. 1489 ― Faytes of A. i. vii. 15 The excercyte of their offyce. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) iii. iii. 148 Excellente in contemplacyon, & in the exercyte or usynge of lyfe spyrytuall. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) R iij a, The kepyng of hyr selfe [Lucrece] close in her house, the exercytie of her tyme. |
▪ III. † exercite, ppl. a. Obs. rare—1.
[ad. L. exercitus, pa. pple. of exercēre: see exerce.]
In exercite act = ‘exercised act’; see exercised ppl. a.
| 1711 tr. Werenfelsius' Disc. Logomachys 101 Then [follow] Acts..divided, signate, exercite. |
▪ IV. † exercite, v. Obs.
Also 5 excercyte.
[a. OF. exerciter to exercise, ad. L. exercitāre: see exercitant.]
trans. To exercise, practise; to discipline, drill; to wield, bring into play (a weapon).
| 1475 Bk. Noblesse 27 Good men of armes well lerned and exercited. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 427/4 He excercytyng and ocupyeng hym in thys holy operacion or werke. c 1500 Melusine 224 In many other appertyse of armes they exercyted them self. 1541 R. Copland Galyen's Terap. 2 B iij b, The boke of medycamentes, wherin it behoueth to be exercyted who soeuer wyll take any fruyte of these present comentaries. 1556 J. O[lde] tr. Walther's Antichrist 161 But the material sweord must be exercited for the churche, and the spiritual sweorde of the churche. |