de·vote (d -v t )tr.v. de·vot·ed, de·vot·ing, de·votes 1. To give or apply (one's time, attention, or self) entirely to a particular activity, pursuit, cause, or person. 2. To set apart for a specific purpose or use: land devoted to mining. 3. To set apart by or as if by a vow or solemn act; consecrate: a temple devoted to Apollo.
[Latin d vov re, d v t-, to vow : d -, de- + vov re, to vow.]
de·vote ment n. Synonyms: devote, dedicate, consecrate, pledge These verbs mean to give to a particular end and especially to a higher purpose. Devote implies faithfulness and loyalty: Nurses devote themselves to the care of the sick. Dedicate connotes a solemn, often formal commitment: "To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes" Woodrow Wilson. Consecrate suggests sacred commitment: His entire life is consecrated to science. To pledge is to back a personal commitment by a solemn promise: "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a new deal for the American people" Franklin D. Roosevelt. |