practice

prac•tice

[[t]ˈpræk tɪs[/t]] n. v. -ticed, -tic•ing

1) habitual or customary course of action or way of doing something:

office practice[/ex]

2) a habit; custom:

to make a practice of borrowing money[/ex]

3) repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring proficiency

4) condition arrived at by experience or exercise:

out of practice[/ex]

5) the action or process of doing something or carrying something out:

to put a scheme into practice[/ex]

6) the exercise or pursuit of a profession, esp. law or medicine

7) the business of a professional person

8) law the established method of conducting legal proceedings

9) archaic

a) plotting; intrigue; trickery

b) Usu. practices. intrigues; plots

10) to perform or do habitually or usually:

to practice a strict regimen[/ex]

11) to follow or observe habitually or customarily:

to practice one's religion[/ex]

12) to exercise or pursue as a profession, art, or occupation

13) to perform on or do repeatedly in order to acquire skill or proficiency:

to practice the violin[/ex]

14) to train or drill (a person, animal, etc.) in something in order to give proficiency

15) to do something habitually or as a practice

16) to pursue a profession, esp. law or medicine

17) to do something repeatedly in order to acquire skill

18) archaic to plot or conspire

Also, Brit.,practise (for defs. 11-19). Etymology: 1375–1425; (v.) late ME practisen, practizen (< MF pra(c) tiser) < ML prāctizāre, alter. of prācticāre, der. of prāctica practical work < Gk prāktikḗ, n. use of fem. of prāktikós practical; (n.) late ME, der. of the v. prac′tic•er, n. syn: See custom