Forms: 5 en-, 5– employ; also 6–8 imploy. [a. F. employe-r (var. of OF. emplier: see IMPLY, and cf. PLOY, PLY), a Com. Romanic word = Pr. impleiar, Cat. implegar, Sp. emplear, Pg. empregar, It. impiegare:—L. implicāre, f. in + plicāre to fold. Cf. IMPLY.
The senses of this word (exc. 5, 6) are derived from the late L. sense of implicare ‘to bend or direct upon something’; the classical senses ‘enfold, involve’ are represented by IMPLY.]
1. trans. To apply (a thing) to some definite purpose; to use as a means or instrument, or as material. Const. for, in, on, † to.
α. c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 54. The Kyngs own Money … he may … employ to other Usys.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 433/4. Whan hir moder sawe the … lynnen cloth thus employed she was moche wroth.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, 75 b (R.). When he beheld the bord … employed to so base an vse.
1624. Ld. Kensington, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 301, III. 173. To employ her credit with the king her son.
1671. trans. Frejus’ Voy. Mauritania, 5. To employ eight hundred Piastres for his expence.
1690. Locke, Govt., II. v. § 43. 262 (J.). The Labour of those … who felled and framed the timber imployed about the Plough, Mill, Oven.
1718. Free-thinker, No. 65. 68. Employ the Prerogative only for their [the people’s] Good.
1759. B. Martin, Nat. Hist. Eng., I. Somerset, 53. The soil of this Country is … employed in Grain and Pasturage.
1839. Landor, Andrea, Wks. 1846, II. 526/2. All have more knowledge than they will employ.
1856. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., III. IV. iv. § 11. Art was employed for the display of religious facts.
β. 153[?]. Starkey, Lett., 73. Imploing such giftys God hathe gyuen me.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw. (1603), 85. The hils … and riuer sides being onely imploied to vines.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 763. Heere Love his golden shafts imploies.
1689–92. Locke, Toleration, ii. Wks. 1727, II. 291. The Means of bringing Souls to Salvation, (which certainly is the best Design any one can imploy his Pen in).
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 243/103.
| This Curse the jealous Juno did invent; | |
| And first imploy’d for Io’s Punishment. |
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), II. 413. The rest of the inclosure imployed in tillage.
b. To apply, devote (effort, thought, etc.) to an object. (In later use merged in 4.)
1587. Harrison, England, II. i. (1877), I. 37. To imploy their studies unto physike and the lawes.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. viii. 43. And imploy your chiefest thoughts To courtship.
1683. Burnet, trans. More’s Utopia, 128. All other Animals imploy their bodily Force one against another.
1784. J. Barry, Lect. Art, iii. (1848), 151. Any man … who would generously employ his whole undivided attention to it.
c. To make use of (time, opportunities). Const. in, † to. In mod. use also (influenced by 4), ‘to fill with business’ (J.).
α. 1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. v. 20. He … employed his tyme to studye.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cclxii. 387. What was best for them to do to employ forthe their season.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 185. How usefully you employ this glorious Recess.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 319. Those intervals were employed to range about and hunt for food.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 27. 195. Having ten days at my disposal last Christmas, I was anxious to employ them.
β. 1621. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., IV. (1626), 77.
| Some in life-practiz’d Arts imploy their times: | |
| Others are tortur’d for their former Crimes. |
1732. Lediard, Sethos, II. ix. 277. He imploy’d the whole time in raising enormous machines.
† 2. To bestow (something) on a person. Obs. [So emploier in OF.]
1548. Gest, Pr. Masse, 104. Melchisedech … employing upon Abraham bred and wyne.
1598. Greene, Jas. IV. (1861), 190. What reward … May I employ on you for this your zeal?
3. To use the services of (a person) in a professional capacity, or in the transaction of some special business; to have or maintain (persons) in one’s service.
α. 1584. Powel, Lloyd’s Cambria, 98. Emploied in affaires of the Commonwealth.
1771. Junius Lett., l. 353. Let us employ these men in whatever departments their various abilities are best suited to.
1872. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 206. Scott & Co., employing nine men six months.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 162–3. Lessing … was employed by Voltaire … in the infamous Hirschel case.
β. 1590. Shaks., Mids. N., I. i. 124. I must imploy you in some businesse Against our nuptiall.
1621. Frailty of Life, in Farr, S. P. Jas. I. (1848), 201. To thinke, not one of those whome he imploy’d Should be aliue within one hundred yeares.
1662. Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., III. i. § 2. 366. Moses … writ as a person imployed by God.
1728. Newton, Chronol. Amended, ii. 224. Cinyras … imployed workmen in making armour.
† b. To send (a person) with a commission to, towards (a person), to, into (a place); also, To employ out. Obs.
α. 1611. Shaks., Cymb., II. iii. 68. We shall haue neede T’employ you towards this Romane.
1618. Bolton, Florus, III. vi. 190. Publius Servilius was employd out against them.
1654. R. Codrington, trans. Ivstine’s Hist., 289. The Lacedemonians being unwilling to employ their forces into so remote a war.
1687. Good Advice, 22. Bishop Usher was Employ’d to O. Cromwell by some of the Clergy.
β. 1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., V. ii. 70. To Cæsar I will speake, what you shall please, If you’l imploy me to him.
1631. Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 670. This Sir Iohn Wriothesley … was imployed into Scotland, and with him Northumberland Herauld.
1650. J. Howell, Hist. Revol. Naples, 56. He imployed besides into the Castle three Gentlemen of speciall parts.
4. To find work or occupation for (a person, his bodily or mental powers); in pass. often merely to be occupied, to be at work. Const. about, in, on.
α. 1611. Bible, Ezra x. 15. Were employed about this matter.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., I. iv. § 19. He was principally employed farre off at Constantinople.
1713. Steele, Englishman, No. 11. 73. Whoever is well employed is then at Prayers.
1772. Johnson, Lett. (1788), I. l. 60. By showing how much I am employed upon you.
1850. McCosh, Div. Govt., II. ii. (1874), 215. How can the whole soul be so nobly … employed?
Mod. I cannot fully employ you. I found him employed in writing letters. Glad to see you so well employed.
β. 1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxiv. 208. Men, that are otherwise imployed.
1691–8. Norris, Pract. Disc., IV. 191. All … imploy’d in the Contemplation of our Excellencies.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks. (1711), 262. He was imploy’d in drinking.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., II. 277. Imploying our Thoughts, upon the Occasions chosen by Our Lord.
b. refl. To apply (obs.), busy or occupy oneself.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 113. Employe thyselfe to marcial feates.
1764. Reid, Inquiry, i. § 2. 13. Castle-builders employ themselves more in romance than in philosophy.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (ed. 4), I. 4. Gray … said that something more of genius than common was required to teach a man how to employ himself.
c. Said of the object to which attention is given.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1669), 26. Occasional Reflections, though they fill our heads, they need not employ our hands.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 77/124.
| Exalted hence, and drunk with secret Joy, | |
| Their young Succession all their Cares employ. |
1704. Pope, Summer, 47. Then might my voice thy list’ning ears employ.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., vii. § 17. Wks. 1871, II. 317. Speculations to employ our curiosity.
1774. Goldsmith, Grecian Hist., II. 170. Mithridates, who so long employed the Roman armies.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Manch. Strike, i. 13. A Pan’s pipe employed his mouth.
1854. Tennyson, Poems, To Rev. F. D. Maurice, i. Come, when no graver cares employ.
Mod. He needs something to employ his mind.
† 5. = IMPLY in various senses: a. To entwine, enclose, encircle. b. To involve, include, contain. c. To imply, signify. Obs.
1528. Fox, in Pocock, Rec. Ref., I. liii. 143. The causes … imployed so manifest justness.
1529. More, Comf. agst. Trib., I. Wks. (1557), 1146/2. We must expresse or imploy a condicion therin.
1579. Poore Knight his Pallace, B b. Crabbed Care, imployd with streekes of red.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 31. Which wordes do employ nothyng els, but that [etc.].
1605. Chapman, All Fooles, Plays, 1873, I. 134. Fortunio welcome, And in that welcome I imploy your wiues.
1606. Holland, Sueton., 129. Passed a decree, that the day one which hee beganne his Empire, should be called Palilia, imploying thereby, as it were a second foundation of the Cittie.
a. 1626. Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law (1636), 31. Which interest of mariage went still imployed … in every tenure called Knights service.
¶ 6. To supply. Obs. rare.
1668. Child, Disc. Trade (1694), 160. It employs the Nation for its Consumption with Pepper, Indico, Callicoes.
