Employ \Em*ploy"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Employed}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Employing}.] [F. employer, fr. L. implicare to fold into,
   infold, involve, implicate, engage; in + plicare to fold. See
   {Ply}, and cf. {Imply}, {Implicate}.]
   1. To inclose; to infold. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
      
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   2. To use; to have in service; to cause to be engaged in
      doing something; -- often followed by in, about, on, or
      upon, and sometimes by to; as:
      (a) To make use of, as an instrument, a means, a material,
          etc., for a specific purpose; to apply; as, to employ
          the pen in writing, bricks in building, words and
          phrases in speaking; to employ the mind; to employ
          one's energies.
          
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                This is a day in which the thoughts . . . ought
                to be employed on serious subjects. --Addison.
      (b) To occupy; as, to employ time in study.
      (c) To have or keep at work; to give employment or
          occupation to; to intrust with some duty or behest;
          as, to employ a hundred workmen; to employ an envoy.
          
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                Jonathan . . . and Jahaziah . . . were employed
                about this matter.                --Ezra x. 15.
          
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                Thy vineyard must employ the sturdy steer
                To turn the glebe.                --Dryden.
          
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   {To employ ones self}, to apply or devote one's time and
      attention; to busy one's self.

   Syn: To use; busy; apply; exercise; occupy; engross; engage.
        See {Use}.
        
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Employ \Em*ploy"\, n. [Cf. F. emploi.]
   That which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular
   service or business; employment.
   
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         The whole employ of body and of mind.    --Pope.
   
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   {In ones employ}, in one's service.
      
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employ
     n : the state of being employed or having a job; "they are
         looking for employment"; "he was in the employ of the
         city" [syn: {employment}] [ant: {unemployment}]
     v 1: put into service; make work or employ (something) for a
          particular purpose or for its inherent or natural
          purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at
          home"; "I can't make use of this tool"; "Apply a
          magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many
          projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply
          this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to
          store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"
          [syn: {use}, {utilize}, {utilise}, {apply}]
     2: engage or hire for work; "They hired two new secretaries in
        the department"; "How many people has she employed?" [syn:
         {hire}, {engage}] [ant: {fire}]

126 Moby Thesaurus words for "employ":
   active use, activities, activity, add, affair, affairs, appliance,
   application, apply, attend to business, attendance, avail, bag,
   bespeak, bestow, book, brief, business, busy, carry on, commerce,
   commission, concern, concernment, conduct, consecrate to, consume,
   consumption, contract for, dedicate to, devote, do, do with,
   employment, engage, engage in, engross, enlist, enterprise,
   exercise, exert, exertion, expend, exploit, follow, function,
   give over to, give to, go in for, good use, handle, hard usage,
   hard use, hire, ill use, interest, involve, labor, lookout,
   make use of, manage, manipulate, matter, mind the store,
   ministration, ministry, misuse, monopolize, obtain, occupation,
   occupy, operate, pass, pass the time, peonage, play, ply, practice,
   preengage, procure, prosecute, pursue, put forth, put in, put on,
   put out, recruit, reserve, retain, rough usage, secure, serfdom,
   service, servitium, servitorship, servitude, sign, sign on,
   sign up, sign up for, slavery, specialize in, spend,
   spend the time, tackle, take into employment, take on, take to,
   take up, tendance, thing, undertake, undertaking, usage, use,
   use up, using up, utilize, wage, while, while away, wield, wile,
   work, work at, wrong use