I. ˈeksə(r)ˌsīz noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French exercice, from Latin exercitium, from exercitus, past participle of exercēre to drive on, keep busy, from ex- ex- (I) + -ercēre (from arcēre to hold off, enclose) — more at ark
1.
a. : the act of bringing into play or realizing in action : exertion , use
avoid accidents by the exercise of foresight
the violent … exercise of royal authority — T.B.Macaulay
b. : the discharge of an official function or professional occupation
exercise of his judicial duties
2.
a. : regular or repeated appropriate use of a faculty, power, or bodily organ
willpower is strengthened by exercise
muscles atrophy from lack of exercise
b. : bodily exertion for the sake of developing and maintaining physical fitness
he plays golf chiefly for the exercise
3. : something that is performed or practiced in order to develop or improve a specific power or skill: as
a. : a set task (as a piece of writing) designed to improve a pupil's ability or to test his comprehension of a subject
do the exercise at the end of each chapter
spelling exercise
b. : an artificially devised bodily action or set of actions prescribed for regular or repeated practice as a means of gaining strength, dexterity, suppleness, or all-around competence in some field of performance
finger exercise
bowing exercise
vocal exercises
breathing exercises
4.
a. : a composition or work of art performed chiefly in order to practice or display a specific technical point or aspect : study
exercise in double-stops
exercise in light and shadow effects
b. : an artistic or intellectual performance whose value is greater in the doing than in the final result or greater for the performer than for the beholder
a mere literary exercise
to balance forms, calculate proportions, and harmonize colors can be an intellectual exercise rather than an act of creative imagination — Herbert Read
c. : any performance having a strongly marked or identifiable secondary or ulterior aspect
a biography that … is a truly formidable exercise in unrelieved contempt — New Yorker
d. : habitual act : practice
the casting of metal forms in molds was an exercise older than recorded history
5. : an act of religious practice especially in worship (as of preaching, expounding, or praying)
exercises of devotion
6. : a public exhibition or ceremony: as
a. : a maneuver, operation, or drill carried out for training and discipline
a field exercise
b. : an academic disputation, oral examination, or discourse required of a candidate for a degree and often carried on in public
c. exercises plural : a program including speeches, announcements of awards and honors, and various traditional practices of secular or religious character
commencement exercises
d. : an activity forming part of a regular academic routine
salute the national flag as part of a daily school exercise — Felix Frankfurter
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English exercisen, from exercise, n.
transitive verb
1.
a. : to bring into play : make effective in action
privileges if not exercised are often lost
he failed to exercise good judgment in buying the car
: bring to bear : exert
will can only be exercised in the presence of something which retards or resists it — W.R.Inge
exercise her influence among all the nations of the world — Norman Angell
b. obsolete : to carry on (an occupation) or carry out the functions of (an office)
2.
a. : to use repeatedly in order to strengthen or develop (a muscle or a bodily faculty)
exercising his fingers daily to restore them
b. : to train (as troops) by drills and maneuvers
Tom was being exercised like a raw recruit — George Meredith
c. : to give exercise to : put through exercises
3.
a. : to engage the attention and effort of
a problem which is much exercising the minds of the city fathers — Sam Pollock
b. : to cause anxiety, alarm, or indignation in : vex , harass
was ever a human generation so exercised about its education as ours? — C.G.Osgood
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : to perform one's office
2. : to exert oneself : take exercise : drill , train
3. : to take part in religious observances
Synonyms: see practice