/ ˈeksəsaɪz; NAmE -sərs-/ noun , verb
■ noun
ACTIVITY / MOVEMENTS
1.
[ U ] physical or mental activity that you do to stay healthy or become stronger :
Swimming is good exercise.
I don't get much exercise sitting in the office all day.
The mind needs exercise as well as the body.
vigorous / gentle exercise
( BrE )
to take exercise
2.
[ C ] a set of movements or activities that you do to stay healthy or develop a skill :
breathing / relaxation / stretching exercises
exercises for the piano
Repeat the exercise ten times on each leg.
QUESTIONS
3.
[ C ] a set of questions in a book that tests your knowledge or practises a skill :
grammar exercises
Do exercise one for homework.
USE OF POWER / RIGHT / QUALITY
4.
[ U ] exercise of sth the use of power, a skill, a quality or a right to make sth happen :
the exercise of power by the government
the exercise of discretion
FOR PARTICULAR RESULT
5.
[ C ] exercise (in sth) an activity that is designed to achieve a particular result :
an exercise in public relations
Staying calm was an exercise in self-control.
a communications exercise
In the end it proved a pointless exercise.
FOR SOLDIERS
6.
[ C , usually pl. ] a set of activities for training soldiers :
military exercises
CEREMONIES
7.
exercises [ pl. ] ( NAmE ) ceremonies :
college graduation exercises
■ verb
USE POWER / RIGHT / QUALITY
1.
[ vn ] ( formal ) to use your power, rights or personal qualities in order to achieve sth :
When she appeared in court she exercised her right to remain silent.
He was a man who exercised considerable influence over people.
DO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
2.
to do sports or other physical activities in order to stay healthy or become stronger; to make an animal do this :
[ v ]
an hour's class of exercising to music
How often do you exercise?
[ vn ]
Horses need to be exercised regularly.
3.
[ vn ] to give a part of the body the movement and activity it needs to keep strong and healthy :
These movements will exercise your arms and shoulders.
BE ANXIOUS
4.
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] exercise sb/sth (about sth) ( formal ) if sb is exercised about sth, they are very anxious about it
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense application of a right ): via Old French from Latin exercitium , from exercere keep busy, practise, from ex- thoroughly + arcere keep in or away.