apply

verb

1. (transitive)To lay or place; to put (one thing to another)

   “to apply cream to a rash”

   “He said, and to the sword his throat applied.”

2. (transitive)To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case

   “to apply funds to the repayment of a debt”

3. (transitive)To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relevant.

   “We need to apply the skills we’ve learned to solve this problem.”

   “Yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied.”

4. (transitive)To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently or with attention.

   “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.”

5. (reflexive)To work diligently and attentively.

   “My parents say I could do well in school if I would apply myself.”

6. (reflexive, transitive, usually)To address oneself; to refer.

   “sacred vows […] applied to grisly Pluto”

   “On applying to the assessors, I am surprised to learn that they cannot at once name a dozen in the town who own their farms free and clear.”

7. (intransitive)To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" or "at" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).

   “I recently applied to the tavern for a job as a bartender.”

   “Most of the colleges she applied to were ones she thought she had a good chance of getting into.”

   “Many of them don't know it, but almost a third of the inmates are eligible to apply for parole or work-release programs.”

   “Southern Pacific Communications Co. (SP) has applied to the FCC for approval of the first coast-to-coast digital data transmission service.”

8. (intransitive)To pertain or be relevant.

   “That rule only applies to foreigners.”

9. (obsolete)To busy; to keep at work; to ply.

   “She was no less skillful in applying his humours.”

10. (obsolete)To visit.

    “His armour was so clear, And he applied each place so fast, that like a lightning thrown Out of the shield of Jupiter, in every eye he shone.”

adj

1. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative spelling of appley.