apply

/əpˈlaɪ/uh-PLIGH

Meaningto fold onto

Common meaning: to put on

Other meanings: to ask formally

apto, towards (form of ad-)
plyto foldLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1387 · scan

‘to, towards (form of ad-)’ + ‘to fold’ → apply

Journey through time

Latinplicō, plicāvī‘to fold’
Old Frenchapliersource
Middle Englishapplyensource
Englishapply‘to put on’ · today

ap- also in: appal appease applaud approve apparent

ply also in: reply employ complex explicit multiple

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin plicō ‘to fold’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry plicō, p. 1387 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry EMPLOY, p. 189 · dictionary scan

Roots

plicō, plicāvī Latin “to fold”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app