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devote

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de⋅vote

  [di-voht]
Use devote in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -vot⋅ed, -vot⋅ing.
1. to give up or appropriate to or concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause, etc.: to devote one's time to reading.
2. to appropriate by or as if by a vow; set apart or dedicate by a solemn or formal act; consecrate: She devoted her life to God.
3. to commit to evil or destruction; doom.
Origin:
1580–90; < L dēvōtus vowed (ptp. of dēvovēre), equiv. to dē- de- + vōtus; see vote, vow

Synonyms:
1. assign, apply, consign. 2. Devote, dedicate, consecrate share the sense of assigning or applying someone or something to an activity, function, or end. Devote, though it has some overtones of religious dedication, is the most general of the three terms: He devoted his free time to mastering the computer. Dedicate is more solemn and carries an ethical or moral tone: We are dedicated to the achievement of equality for all. Consecrate, even in nonreligious contexts, clearly implies a powerful and sacred dedication: consecrated to the service of humanity.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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de·vote   (dĭ-vōt')   
tr.v.   de·vot·ed, de·vot·ing, de·votes

  1. To give or apply (one's time, attention, or self) entirely to a particular activity, pursuit, cause, or person.

  2. To set apart for a specific purpose or use: land devoted to mining.

  3. To set apart by or as if by a vow or solemn act; consecrate: a temple devoted to Apollo.


[Latin dēvovēre, dēvōt-, to vow : dē-, de- + vovēre, to vow.]
de·vote'ment n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to give to a particular end and especially to a higher purpose. Devote implies faithfulness and loyalty: Nurses devote themselves to the care of the sick.
Dedicate connotes a solemn, often formal commitment: "To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes" (Woodrow Wilson).
Consecrate suggests sacred commitment: His entire life is consecrated to science.
To pledge is to back a personal commitment by a solemn promise: "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people" (Franklin D. Roosevelt).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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