the convergence of two parallel railroad tracks in a narrow place; the inner rails cross and run parallel and then diverge so a train remains on its own tracks at all times
engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or occupy urgently or obsessively; "His work preoccupies him"; "The matter preoccupies her completely--she cannot think of anything else"
occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance; "the army preoccupied the hills"
a right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right); "suffrage was the prerogative of white adult males"
tending or intended to correct or counteract or restore to a normal condition; "corrective measures"; "corrective lenses"
designed to promote discipline; "the teacher's action was corrective rather than instructional"; "disciplinal measures"; "the mother was stern and disciplinary"
as the agent of or on someone's part (usually expressed as "on behalf of" rather than "in behalf of"); "the guardian signed the contract on behalf of the minor child"; "this letter is written on behalf of my client";
for someone's benefit (usually expressed as `in behalf' rather than `on behalf' and usually with a possessive); "in your behalf"; "campaigning in his own behalf"; "spoke a good word in his friend's behalf"
the power of attracting or holding one's attention (because it is unusual or exciting etc.); "they said nothing of great interest"; "primary colors can add interest to a room"
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something; "an interest in music"
(usually plural) a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims; "the iron interests stepped up production"
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something; "they have interests all over the world"; "a stake in the company's future"
a fixed charge for borrowing money; usually a percentage of the amount borrowed; "how much interest do you pay on your mortgage?"
the act of using; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers"
a particular service; "he put his knowledge to good use"; "patrons have their uses"
(law) the exercise of the legal right to enjoy the benefits of owning property; "we were given the use of his boat"
use up, consume fully; "The legislature expended its time on school questions"
put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"
take or consume (regularly or habitually); "She uses drugs rarely"
habitually do something (use only in the past tense); "She used to call her mother every week but now she calls only occasionally"; "I used to get sick when I ate in that dining hall"; "They used to vacation in the Bahamas"
seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage; "She uses her influential friends to get jobs"; "The president's wife used her good connections"
any of the more or less continuous military expeditions in the 11th to 13th centuries when Christian powers of Europe tried to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims
go on a crusade; fight a holy war
exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for; "The liberal party pushed for reforms"; "She is crusading for women's rights"; "The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate"
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly); "sailing is her favorite pastime"; "his main pastime is gambling"; "he counts reading among his interests"; "they criticized the boy for his limited pursuits"