1. (n.) The act of exercising; a setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use; habitual activity; occupation, in general; practice.

2. (n.) Exertion for the sake of training or improvement whether physical, intellectual, or moral; practice to acquire skill, knowledge, virtue, perfectness, grace, etc.

3. (n.) Bodily exertion for the sake of keeping the organs and functions in a healthy state; hygienic activity; as, to take exercise on horseback.

4. (n.) The performance of an office, a ceremony, or a religious duty.

5. (n.) That which is done for the sake of exercising, practicing, training, or promoting skill, health, mental, improvement, moral discipline, etc.; that which is assigned or prescribed for such ends; hence, a disquisition; a lesson; a task; as, military or naval exercises; musical exercises; an exercise in composition.

6. (n.) That which gives practice; a trial; a test.

7. (v. t.) To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to; to put in action habitually or constantly; to school or train; to exert repeatedly; to busy.

8. (v. t.) To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop; hence, also, to improve by practice; to discipline, and to use or to for the purpose of training; as, to exercise arms; to exercise one's self in music; to exercise troops.

9. (v. t.) To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious; to affect; to discipline; as, exercised with pain.

10. (v. t.) To put in practice; to carry out in action; to perform the duties of; to use; to employ; to practice; as, to exercise authority; to exercise an office.

11. (v. i.) To exercise one's self, as under military training; to drill; to take exercise; to use action or exertion; to practice gymnastics; as, to exercise for health or amusement.

Nachtmusik abrade absolute music absorb absorb the attention act acting action active use activism activity adaptation aerobics agency aggravate agitate air varie aleatory aleatory music annoy appliance application apply apprentice apprenticeship arrangement arrest assignment athletics baccalaureate service badger bait basic training be at bedevil behavior beset bestow boning bother brainwork break break in breaking breather breed breeding bring to bear bring up bristle brown off bug bullyrag burden burn up busywork calisthenics callisthenics carry on catch celebration ceremonial ceremony chafe chalk talk chamber music chamber orchestra chare charge charm chivy chore commencement commission composition concern condition conditioning conduct conning constitutional consumption contemplation convocation cram cramming cultivate cultivation daily dozen descant develop development devil direction discharge discipline discompose discourse disquisition distemper distress disturb do do with dog doing drill drilling driving duty effect electronic music employ employment empty formality enchant engage engage in engage the attention engage the mind engage the thoughts engross engross the mind engross the thoughts engrossment enthrall errand etude exasperate execute execution exercises exercising exert exertion exploit exposition extensive study fascinate fash fetch up fetching-up fish to fry fit fix follow form formal formality foster fostering fret function functioning gall get go in for good use grab graduation graduation exercises grind grinding grip gripe groom grooming gymnastic exercises gymnastics handle handling harangue harass hard usage hard use harmonization harry headwork heckle hector hold hold spellbound hold the interest homework homily hound house-train housebreak housebreaking hypnotize ill use immerse improve improvement in-service training inaugural inauguration incidental music initiation inspection instruction instrumental music invention involve involve the interest irk irritate isometrics job job of work labor lecture lecture-demonstration lesson lick into shape limber up liturgy lucubration make use of make-work manage management manipulate manipulation manual training matters in hand mental labor mesmerize miff military training mission misuse molest monopolize moral moral lesson morality moralization movement movements mummery nag needle nettle nocturne nudzh nurse nurture nurturing object lesson observance obsess occupation occupy