Webster's English Dictionary

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practice

Cross references:
  1. habit                 
 
1. prac.tice or prac.tise \'prak-t*s\ vb [ME practisen, fr. MF practiser, 
   fr. practique practice, fr.]LL practice, fr. Gk praktike-, fr. fem. of 
   praktikos 1a: to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient 
   {~  his act} 1b: to train by repeated exercises {~ pupils in penmanship}  
   2a: to carry out : APPLY {~ what he preaches}  2b: to do or perform often, 
   customarily, or habitually {~ politene ss} 2c: to be professionally engaged 
   in {~ medicine}  obs  3: PLOT  obs  4: FREQUENT  1: to do repeated 
   exercises for proficiency  2: to pursue a profession actively  archaic  3a: 
   INTRIGUE  3b: to impose by artifice  4: to do something customarily perform 
   repeatedly. PRACTICE further implies the attainment of skill through much 
   repetition; EXERCISE implies a strengthening or developing by keeping at 
   work; DRILL stresses the forming of correct habit by mechanical repetition 
   - prac.tic.er n SYN syn PRACTICE, EXERCISE, DRILL mean to perform or make 
2. practice also practise n often attrib  1a: actual performance or 
   application  1b: a repeated or customary action  1c: the usual way of doing 
   something {local ~}  1d: the form, manner, and order of conducting legal 
   suits and prosecutions  2a: systematic exercise for proficiency {~ makes 
   perfect}  2b: the condition of being proficient through systematic exercise 
   {get in  ~} 3a: the continuous exercise of a profession  3b: a professional 
   business; esp : one constituting an incorporeal  property