ded ‧ i ‧ cate /ˈdedəkeɪt, ˈdedɪkeɪt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: dedicare , from dicare 'to say publicly' ]
1 . to give all your attention and effort to one particular thing
dedicate yourself/your life to something
The actress now dedicates herself to children’s charity work.
2 . to say at the beginning of a book or film, or before a piece of music, that it has been written, made, or performed for someone that you love or respect
dedicate something to somebody
The book was dedicated to her husband.
3 . to state in an official ceremony that a building will be given someone’s name in order to show respect for them
4 . to use a place, time, money etc only for a particular purpose
dedicate something to/for something
The company dedicated $50,000 for the study.