Study

Intransitive uses

• 1. a. To apply the mind to the acquisition of learning, whether by means of books, observation, or experiment. Const. in, on, upon (a book, a branch of learning). See also sense 1d.

b. quasi-refl. with complement.

c. To follow one's educational or professional studies at a university, college, or the like; to be a student or learner of some science or art under a professor or master. Const. in.

d. To make a close study of (a subject), to ‘bone’ up (on, in), esp. in preparation for some display of knowledge (intr. use of sense 7b). U.S. colloq.

• 2. a. To think intently; to meditate (about, of, on, upon, in); to reflect, try to recollect something or to come to a decision. Now dial. and U.S. colloq.

b. Phrase, to study by or in oneself. Obs.

c. To be in doubt or perplexity; to ‘take thought’ anxiously. Obs.

d. With indirect question: To debate with oneself, deliberate, consider. Obs.

e. To ask oneself without answer, ‘wonder’ why, what, etc. Obs.

f. To search, ‘cast about’ for. Obs.

• 3. To exercise oneself, employ one's thought or effort in. Obs.
• 4. a. With inf.: To endeavour, make it one's aim, set oneself deliberately to do something. arch.

b. With clause: To employ one's effort that.

• 5. [After L. studre with dat.] To be addicted to; to direct one's efforts to; to be solicitous for, after; to set one's mind upon. Obs.

Transitive uses

• 6.a. To ponder over, meditate upon. Obs.

b. causatively. To cause to muse; to perplex. Obs. exc. dial.

• 7. a. To apply one's mind to the acquiring of (a science, art, language, etc.).

b. colloq. to study up: to study (a subject) in view of some special emergency, e.g. an examination; to ‘get up’.

• 8. a. To be occupied with (a specific branch of learning) as the subject of one's educational course or professional training.

b. In passive, To be educated. Obs.

• 9. a. To read (a book, a passage, an author) with close attention.

b. Of an actor: To commit to memory and exercise oneself in the rendering of (a part).

• 10. a. To examine in detail, seek to become minutely acquainted with or to understand (a phenomenon, a state of circumstances, a series of events, a person's character, etc.); to investigate (a problem).

b. To scrutinize (a visible object) in order to ascertain its nature or to be familiar with or interpret its appearance; loosely, to look at as if examining minutely.

• 11. To aim at, seek to achieve. Now only, to be solicitous of, aim at (some quality in one's own action).
• 12. To meditate, purpose. Obs.
• 13. To devise, excogitate. Now only with out.
• 14. To exercise thought and deliberation in (an action, composition, etc.).
• 15. To pay practical regard to, ‘consider’ (a person's wishes, feelings or interests); hence colloq., to be careful of the convenience or feelings of, to humour (a person).