employ

[ em-ploi ]
/ ɛmˈplɔɪ /

verb (used with object)

to hire or engage the services of (a person or persons); provide employment for; have or keep in one's service: This factory employs thousands of people.
to keep busy or at work; engage the attentions of: He employs himself by reading after work.
to make use of (an instrument, means, etc.); use; apply: to employ a hammer to drive a nail.
to occupy or devote (time, energies, etc.): I employ my spare time in reading. I employ all my energies in writing.

noun

employment; service: to be in someone's employ.

Origin of employ

1425–75; late Middle English employen < Anglo-French, Middle French emploier ≪ Latin implicāre to enfold (Late Latin: to engage); see implicate

OTHER WORDS FROM employ

Words nearby employ

empirism, emplace, emplacement, emplane, emplectite, employ, employable, employee, employee association, employer, employers' association

British Dictionary definitions for deemployed

employ
/ (ɪmˈplɔɪ) /

verb (tr)

to engage or make use of the services of (a person) in return for money; hire
to provide work or occupation for; keep busy; occupy collecting stamps employs a lot of his time
to use as a means to employ secret measures to get one's ends

noun

the state of being employed (esp in the phrase in someone's employ)

Derived forms of employ

employable, adjective employability, noun

Word Origin for employ

C15: from Old French emploier, from Latin implicāre to entangle, engage, from plicāre to fold