occupy, v.
(ˈɒkjʊpaɪ)
Also 4–6 ocupie, -ye, (5 -y), 4–7 occupie, 5–6 -ye, (4 occipie, 6 occypye; 4 okupie, 5 okepye, -paey; okew-, oky-, ocopy; hokewepye; 6 hocupy, pa. pple. okepyde); pa. tense and pple. 4 occupid, 4–6 -yd, 6 ocuped, Sc. occupeit.
[irreg. f. OF. occuper, ad. L. occupāre to seize (by force), take possession of, get hold of, take up, occupy, employ, invest (money); f. oc-, ob- (ob- 1 b) + stem cap- in capĕre to take, seize. The final -ie, -ye, -y of the English word, found in the vb. and its inflexions and derivatives (occupier, etc.) at their earliest appearance c 1340, are not explicable from the F. occup-er, occup-ant, occupe, etc., and their origin has not been ascertained. It is possible that the change took place in AFr., in which Act 5. Rich. II has occupiours, occupiers = occupiers: but this may be from Eng.]
† 1. trans. To take possession of, take for one's own use, seize. Obs. in gen. sense: see b.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xvii. 6 Preoccupauerunt me laquei mortis..bifore occupid has me þe snares of ded. c 1350 in Leg. Rood (1871) 64 All þi lims on ilka side Witht sorows sal be ocupide. 1463 in Bury Wills (Camden) 36, I beqwethe to Thomas Heighaum the yonger my tablys of ivory... And if he wil not ocupye hem I bequethe the seid tablees to..his wyf. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII, 60 Also dyed..the kynges chiefe chamberleyn, whose office Charles.. occupied and enioyed. 1553 Brende Q. Curtius ix. 4 Some occupied dartes, some speares, and other axes, and..leaped to and fro to theyr cartes. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World v. i. §2. (1634) 268 Which done, they occupied the Citie, Lands, Goods, and Wiues of those, whom they had murdered. |
b. spec. To take possession of (a place) by settling in it, or by military conquest, etc.; to enter upon the possession and holding of.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 98 Throw his mycht till occupy Landis, þat war till him marcheand. 1494 Fabyan Chron. v. xciv. 69 A Saxon named Ella..slewe many Brytons,..and after occupyed that Countre. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII, 25 b, That he would invade or occupie the territory of hys enemies. 1810 in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1886) II. 372 The finishing, compleating and occupying..the building. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. x. II. 582 The Dutch had occupied Chelsea and Kensington. 1855 Ibid. xviii. IV. 205 Glencoe was to be occupied by troops. |
c. intr. or absol. To take possession. rare.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 5329 My fos were so fell..Þat þai occupiet ouer all, euyn as hom list. 1862 Mrs. Norton Lady of La Garaye Prol., Creatures that dwell alone Occupy boldly. |
2. trans. To hold possession of; to have in one's possession or power; to hold (a position or office).
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 384 As þe baron or þe knyȝte occupieþ & gouerneþ his baronrye or his knyȝtte. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 278 Belyne and Bremyne, and Bawdewyne the thyrde, They ocupyede þe empyre aughte score wynnttyrs. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 380 You who occupie the chiefest places amongest the States of the Empire. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 194 The Turkes and infidels which to that day had kept and occupied the same Isle [Rhodes]. 1784 Cowper Tiroc. 414 Least qualified..To occupy a sacred, awful post. 1845 M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 14 Gregory..occupied the see of Tours twenty-three years. Ibid. 18 The..inferior Franks..posted themselves, fully armed,..under the portico, occupying all the entrances. 1883 Law Times 20 Oct. 410/2 A married woman is now to occupy the same position as her Saxon ancestress. |
b. To reside in and use (a place) as its tenant, or regular inhabitant; to tenant.
| c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxiv. 109 He..occupies þe same land þat he was lorde off. 1489 Act 4 Hen. VII, c. 19 If any such owner or owners..take kepe & occupy any such house or houses & lands in his or their own hands. 1767 Blackstone Comm. II. i. 7 By constantly occupying the same individual spot, the fruits of the earth were consumed. 1853 J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. (1873) II. i. i. 2 This tract..is at present occupied by civilized communities. 1881 J. Russell Haigs 5 Bemersyde House..has been occupied by the Haigs for more than seven centuries. |
† c. intr. or absol. To hold possession or office; to dwell, reside; to stay, abide. Obs.
| c 1425 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1372 Where Vertew occupyeth must nedys well grow. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 337/1 He..ordeyned an holy man to occupye in his place. 1523 Fitzherb. Surv. Prol., The names of the lordes and tenauntes that occupy. 1535 Coverdale Matt. xvii. 21 Whyle they occupied in Galile Iesus sayde vnto them [etc.]. |
3. trans. To take up, use up, fill (space or time); also in weakened sense, To be situated or stationed in, to be in or at (a place or position).
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3025 It may occupy na stede. 1382 Wyclif Luke xiii. 7 Kitt it doun, wherto occupieth it the erthe? c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 56 Thanne wolde it occupie a someres day. c 1400 Three Kings Cologne 27 Þei come so late and all placys were ocupied with pilgrymes and oþir men. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII, 11 b, Lyke a cypher in algorisme that is ioyned to no figure but onely occupieth a place. c 1566 J. Alday tr. Boaystuau's Theat. World S vij b, If we should rehearse and declare all the singularities..I should occupy a large volume. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xxxiv. 207 The Word Body..signifieth that which..occupyeth some certain room. 1839 G. Bird Nat. Philos. 369 The black cross disappearing, and leaving white spaces in the place it previously occupied. 1865 R. W. Dale Jew. Temp. xvi. 173, I shall not occupy your time with any description of the form of the sanctuary. 1875 Jowett Plato I. 399 The voyage..has occupied thirty days. |
4. To employ, busy, engage (a person, or the mind, attention, etc.). Often in pass.; also refl.
| c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. 17 If þou se any mane gastely ocupiede ffalle in any of þise synnes. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 409, I am occupied eche day, haliday and other, With ydel tales atte ale. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) i. xxi. (1859) 22 He occupyed my wyttes with other thynges. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxviii. 578 Many stones..ynoughe for to ocupye at ones all the masons that were there. 1555 Eden Decades 136 They occupyed them selues in the searchinge of particular tractes and coastes. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. i. 117 Then shall he truly occupie himselfe in the studie of Philosophie. 1781 Cowper Conversation 57 Whatever subject occupy discourse. 1795 Burke Corr. IV. 330 It..would have occupied the attention of all companies. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xvi. 105, I occupied myself with my instruments. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 80 Every one who is occupied with public affairs. |
† 5. To make use of, use (a thing). Obs.
| c 1425 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1935 As though that he wolde Hys darte haue occupyed. 1483 Caxton Cato B iij b, In makyng and ocupyeng false dyse. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §1 Than is the ploughe the moste necessaryest instrumente than an husbande can occupy. 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 34 When the night is past..why should we occupie anie longer a candle. 1584 Cogan Haven Health (1636) 113 When you will occupie more or lesse, you may put in sugar and sit it over the fire, untill it boyle. 1774 C. Keith Farmer's Ha', Lasses, occupy your wheel. |
† b. intr. with of. Obs.
| 1558 Warde tr. Alexis' Secr. (1580) 52 b, Occupie alwaies of this Sope, when you will washe your heade. Ibid. (1568) 94 b, At every time that you wyll occupye of it, styrre it well. |
† 6. trans. To employ oneself in, engage in, practise, perform, carry on; to follow or ply as one's business or occupation. Obs.
| ? c 1400 in Hist. & Antiq. Masonry 28 Hit is called Effraym, and there was sciens of Gemetry and masonri fyrst occupied. 1465 Paston Lett. II. 182 Leve wylfullnesse whyche men sey ye occupye to excessifly. 1524 in Vicary's Anat. (1888) App. iii. 157 Iniunccion ys geuen to the seyd Roys, that he shall no more occupie Phisik. 1535 Coverdale Ps. cvi[i.] 23 They that go downe to the see in shippes, & occupie their busynesse in greate waters. 1581 W. Stafford Exam. Compl. ii. (1876) 48 Therefore men wil the gladder occupy husbandry. |
† b. intr. To be busy or employed (in some capacity); to exercise one's craft or function; to practise; to do business, to work. Obs.
| c 1425 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 450 Ye seelyd my patent, yeuyng me full power soo to occupy. 1512 Act 3 Hen. VIII, c. 11 To exercise and occupie as a Phisicion. 1576 Lichfield Gilds (E.E.T.S.) 27 Admytted..to occupie as a master, Iourney-man, or servaunte within the said Cittie. 1618 N. Field Amends Ladies A j, I do entertain you. How do you occupy? What can you use? 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. vii, The Seamsters (when the point of their needles was broken) began to work and occupie with the tail. |
† 7. trans. To employ (money or capital) in trading; to lay out, invest, put out to interest, trade with; to deal in. [L. occupare pecuniam.]
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 28 b, This rychesse he hath gyuen to vs as a stocke to occupy. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 118 He commaunded that the talentes received should be occupied that they might be made gainfull. 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 1075 Wee be commaunded to occupie our Lords money, and not to hide it. 1602 W. Fulbecke 1st Pt. Parall. 29 If two Merchantes occupie their goods and merchandise in common to their common profite, the one of them may haue a writ of accompt against his companion. 1611 Bible Ezek. xxvii. 9. 1773 Johnson Let. to Mrs. Thrale 17 May, Upon ten thousand pounds diligently occupied, they may live in great plenty. |
† b. intr. To trade, deal. Obs.
| 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. cxi. [cvii.] 318 Berthaulte of Malygnes..occupyeth to Damas, to Cayre, and to Alexandre. 1534 Tindale Luke xix. 13 Occupye tyll I come [R.V. Trade ye herewith]. 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 653 [He] gained much by occupieng with the Iewes and Christians. 1650 Fuller Pisgah ii. v. 129 Such as occupied in her fairs with all precious stones. |
† 8. trans. and intr. To deal with or have to do with sexually; to cohabit. Obs.
[Cf. L. occupare amplexu, Ovid F. iii. 509; but perh. of Eng. origin.]
| [1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) III. 47 Men of Lacedemonia..fatigate and wery thro the compleyntes of theire wifes beenge at home, made a decre and ordinaunce that thei scholde occupye [Trevisa, take; Higd. pluribus uti viris] mony men, thenkenge the nowmbre of men to be encreasede by that.] c 1520 in Laneham's Let. (1871) Introd. 130 To make hyme [your husband] lystear to occupye with youe. 1546 Bale Eng. Votaries i. (1550) 56 b, As king Edwine..occupyed Alfgiua his concubine. 1632 Rowley Wom. Never Vexed iii. i. in Hazl. Dodsley XII. 137 Being partners, they did occupy long together before they were married. 1660 Hexham, Genooten een Vrouw, To Lie with, or to Occupie a woman. |
[Note. The disuse of this verb in the 17th and most of the 18th c. is notable. Against 194 quots. for 16th c., we have for 17th only 8, outside the Bible of 1611 (where it occurs 10 times), and for 18th c. only 10, all of its last 33 years. The verb occurs only twice (equivocally) in Shakes., is entirely absent from the Concordances to Milton and Pope, is not used by Gray; all Johnson's quots., exc. 2, are from the Bible of 1611. It was again freely used by Cowper (13 instances in Concordance). This avoidance appears to have been due to its vulgar employment in sense 8; cf. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 161 (Qo. 1600) A captaine? Gods light these villaines wil make the word as odious as the word occupy, which was an excellent good worde before it was il sorted. a 1637 B. Jonson Discov., De Stylo (1640) 112 Many, out of their owne obscene Apprehensions, refuse proper and fit words; as occupie, nature, and the like.]