devote
/dɪˈvəʊt
/verb [with object]
1 (devote something to) Give all or most of one’s time or resources to (a person or activity): I wanted to devote more time to my family she devoted herself to fundraising...
- Therefore, devoting substantial staff resources to training, organizing, leading, and sustaining family psychoeducation is seen as a luxury.
- And the authority has praised Mr Hampson as a ‘committed and devoted teacher’ who worked tirelessly throughout the year.
- It is incumbent upon all Muslims to devote a proportion of their excess income to the support of religious and charitable works.
Synonyms
allocate, assign, allot, commit, give, give over, afford, apportion, surrender, consign, sacrifice, pledge, dedicate, consecrate;
set aside, earmark, reserve, designate, spare
1.1Use a certain amount of space or time to cover (a topic): a full page is devoted to each ski run...
- We're on the IT bandwagon again - TIME magazine has devoted a cover issue to India's strength in this field.
- Each issue is devoted to some lofty topic: Truth, Creativity, Freedom, etc.
- We have an entire section of our Q & A part of our website devoted to cloning - see Q & A: Cloning.
2 archaic Invoke or pronounce a curse upon: the hostile army was devoted with dire execrations to the gods of war...
- And the hostile army was devoted with dire execrations to the gods of war and of thunder.
- The priestesses and priests turning towards the setting sun, the dwelling of the infernal gods, devoted with curses the sacrilegious wretch.
Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense 'dedicate formally, consecrate'): from Latin devot- 'consecrated', from the verb devovere, from de- 'formally' + vovere 'to vow'.