occupy

occupy
[[t]ɒ̱kjʊpaɪ[/t]]
♦♦
occupies, occupying, occupied
1) VERB The people who occupy a building or a place are the people who live or work there.

[V n] There were over 40 tenants, all occupying one wing of the hospital...

[V n] Land is, in most instances, purchased by those who occupy it.

Syn:
2) V-PASSIVE If a room or something such as a seat is occupied, someone is using it, so that it is not available for anyone else.

[be V-ed] The hospital bed is no longer occupied by his wife...

[be V-ed] I saw three camp beds, two of which were occupied.

Ant:
3) VERB If a group of people or an army occupies a place or country, they move into it, using force in order to gain control of it.

[V n] U.S. forces now occupy a part of the country...

[V n] Alexandretta had been occupied by the French in 1918 after the defeat of Turkey.

[V-ed] ...the occupied territories.

4) VERB If someone or something occupies a particular place in a system, process, or plan, they have that place.

[V n] We occupy a quality position in the market place...

[V n] Many men still occupy more positions of power than women.

Syn:
5) VERB If something occupies you, or if you occupy yourself, your time, or your mind with it, you are busy doing that thing or thinking about it.

[V n] Her parliamentary career has occupied all of her time...

[V pron-refl with n] He hurried to take the suitcases and occupy himself with packing the car...

[V pron-refl] I would deserve to be pitied if I couldn't occupy myself. [Also V n with n]

Derived words:
occupied ADJ-GRADED v-link ADJ, oft ADJ with n

Keep the brain occupied...

I had forgotten all about it because I had been so occupied with other things.

6) VERB If something occupies you, it requires your efforts, attention, or time.

[V n] I had other matters to occupy me, during the day at least...

[V n] This challenge will occupy Europe for a generation or more.

7) VERB If something occupies a particular area or place, it fills or covers it, or exists there.

[V n] Even quite small aircraft occupy a lot of space...

[V n] Bookshelves occupied most of the living room walls.

Syn:
8) VERB If something such as a journey occupies a particular period of time, it takes that amount of time to complete.

[V n] She reached Karachi on Monday evening, the journey having occupied three days and nine hours.

Syn:

English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:
(for the time), , , / , , , / , / , , / , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Occupy D.C. — Occupy DC march of October 9, 2011 Occupy D.C. is a non partisan people s movement focused on spreading the ideas of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Together in Washington, D.C.[1] The group has been demonstrating in McPherson Squa …   Wikipedia

  • occupy — oc‧cu‧py [ˈɒkjpaɪ ǁ ˈɑːk ] verb occupied PTandPP 1. [transitive] to use a particular building to live or work in: • a large computer company that occupies a building of some 60,000 sq ft occupier noun [countable] : • a tax payable by the… …   Financial and business terms

  • Occupy — Oc cu*py, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Occupied}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Occupying}.] [OE. occupien, F. occuper, fr.L. occupare; ob (see {Ob }) + a word akin to capere to take. See {Capacious}.] 1. To take or hold possession of; to hold or keep for use; to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • occupy — I (engage) verb absorb, absorb the attention, absorb the mind, absorb the thoughts, address oneself to, amuse, apply oneself to, apply the attention to, apply the mind to, arrest the attention, attract the attention, attract the mind, attract the …   Law dictionary

  • Occupy — may refer to: Occupy movement, an international protest movement Occupation, referring either to a job or occupying a space See also All pages beginning with Occupy This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title …   Wikipedia

  • occupy — (v.) mid 14c., to take possession of, also to take up space or time, employ (someone), from O.Fr. occuper, from L. occupare take over, seize, possess, occupy, from ob over (see OB (Cf. ob )) + intensive form of capere to grasp, seize (see CAPABLE …   Etymology dictionary

  • occupy — [v1] be busy with absorb, amuse, attend, be active with, be concerned with, busy, divert, employ, engage, engross, entertain, fill, hold attention, immerse, interest, involve, keep busy, monopolize, preoccupy, soak, take up, tie up, utilize;… …   New thesaurus

  • Occupy — Oc cu*py, v. i. 1. To hold possession; to be an occupant. Occupy till I come. Luke xix. 13. [1913 Webster] 2. To follow business; to traffic. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • occupy — ► VERB (occupies, occupied) 1) live or have one s place of business in. 2) take control of (a place) by military conquest or settlement. 3) enter and stay in (a building) without authority. 4) fill or take up (a space, time or position). 5) keep… …   English terms dictionary

  • occupy — [äk′yo͞o pī΄, äk′yəpī΄] vt. occupied, occupying [ME occupien < OFr occuper < L occupare, to take possession of, possess < ob (see OB ) + capere, to seize: see HAVE] 1. to take possession of by settlement or seizure 2. to hold possession… …   English World dictionary

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