Definitions for: Practice


[n] a customary way of operation or behavior; "it is their practice to give annual raises"; "they changed their dietary pattern"
[n] translating an idea into action; "a hard theory to put into practice"; "differences between theory and praxis of communism"
[n] the exercise of a profession; "the practice of the law"; "I took over his practice when he retired"
[n] systematic training by multiple repetitions; "practice makes perfect"
[n] knowledge of how something is customarily done; "it is not the local practice to wear shorts to dinner"
[v] learn by repetition
[v] engage in a rehearsal (of)
[v] avail oneself to; "apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance"
[v] carry out or practice; as of jobs and professions; "practice law"



Webster (1913) Definition: Prac"tice, n. [OE. praktike, practique, F. pratique,
formerly also, practique, LL. practica, fr. Gr. ?, fr. ?
practical. See Practical, and cf. Pratique, Pretty.]
1. Frequently repeated or customary action; habitual
performance; a succession of acts of a similar kind;
usage; habit; custom; as, the practice of rising early;
the practice of making regular entries of accounts; the
practice of daily exercise.



A heart . . . exercised with covetous practices. --2 Pet.
ii. 14.

2. Customary or constant use; state of being used.

Obsolete words may be revived when they are more
sounding or more significant than those in practice.
--Dryden.

3. Skill or dexterity acquired by use; expertness. [R.] ``His
nice fence and his active practice.'' --Shak.

4. Actual performance; application of knowledge; -- opposed
to theory.

There are two functions of the soul, --
contemplation and practice. --South.

There is a distinction, but no opposition, between
theory and practice; each, to a certain extent,
supposes the other; theory is dependent on practice;
practice must have preceded theory. --Sir W.
Hamilton.

5. Systematic exercise for instruction or discipline; as, the
troops are called out for practice; she neglected practice
in music.



6. Application of science to the wants of men; the exercise
of any profession; professional business; as, the practice
of medicine or law; a large or lucrative practice.

Practice is exercise of an art, or the application
of a science in life, which application is itself an
art. --Sir W.
Hamilton.

7. Skillful or artful management; dexterity in contrivance or
the use of means; art; stratagem; artifice; plot; --
usually in a bad sense. [Obs.] --Bacon.

He sought to have that by practice which he could
not by prayer. --Sir P.
Sidney.

8. (Math.) A easy and concise method of applying the rules of
arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and business.

9. (Law) The form, manner, and order of conducting and
carrying on suits and prosecutions through their various
stages, according to the principles of law and the rules
laid down by the courts. --Bouvier.

Syn: Custom; usage; habit; manner.


Prac"tice, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Practiced; p. pr. &
vb. n. Practicing.] [Often written practise, practised,
practising.]
1. To do or perform frequently, customarily, or habitually;
to make a practice of; as, to practice gaming. ``Incline
not my heart . . . practice wicked works.''


Prac"tice, v. i. [Often written practise.]
1. To perform certain acts frequently or customarily, either
for instruction, profit, or amusement; as, to practice
with the broadsword or with the rifle; to practice on the
piano.



2. To learn by practice; to form a habit.

They shall practice how to live secure. --Milton.

Practice first over yourself to reign. --Waller.

3. To try artifices or stratagems.

He will practice against thee by poison. --Shak.

4. To apply theoretical science or knowledge, esp. by way of
experiment; to exercise or pursue an employment or
profession, esp. that of medicine or of law.

[I am] little inclined to practice on others, and as
little that others should practice on me. --Sir W.
Temple.

Synonyms: apply, do, drill, drill, exercise, exercise, pattern, practice session, practise, practise, practise, praxis, recitation, rehearse, use

See Also: activity, biologism, brushup, cannibalism, careerism, cognition, consultancy, convention, cooperation, cross dressing, custom, custom, dental practice, do, do work, dry run, effectuation, employment, execute, exercise, fashion, featherbedding, fire drill, follow, formalism, formula, grooming, habitude, heritage, implementation, knowledge, law practice, learn, lynch law, manual, manual of arms, medical practice, military drill, mistreatment, modernism, naturism, noesis, normal, nudism, one-upmanship, optometry, pattern, peonage, perform, popery, preparation, quotation, read, rehearsal, review, ritual, ritualism, rule, run through, S.O.P., scrimmage, scrimmage, shadowboxing, shamanise, shamanize, slavery, SOP, standard operating procedure, study, symbolisation, symbolism, symbolization, take, target practice, tradition, training, transvestism, transvestitism, unwritten law, usage, usance, use, utilisation, utilization, work

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