devote Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
    commit; consecrate; dedicate; give.
    • She committed herself to the work of God
    • give one's talents to a good cause
    • consecrate your life to the church
  2. verb dedicate
    pay; give.
    • give thought to
    • give priority to
    • pay attention to
  3. verb set aside or apart for a specific purpose or use
    • this land was devoted to mining

WordNet

De*vote" transitive verb
Etymology
L. devotus, p. p. of devovere; de + vovere to vow. See Vow, and cf. Devout, Devow.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Devoted; present participle & verbal noun Devoting
Definitions
  1. To appropriate by vow; to set apart or dedicate by a solemn act; to consecrate; also, to consign over; to doom; to evil; to devote one to destruction; the city was devoted to the flames.
    No devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the Lord . . . shall be sold or redeemed. Lev. xxvii. 28.
  2. To execrate; to curse. Obs.
  3. To give up wholly; to addict; to direct the attention of wholly or compound; to attach; -- often with a reflexive pronoun; as, to devote one's self to science, to one's friends, to piety, etc.
    Thy servant who is devoted to thy fear. Ps. cxix. 38.
    They devoted themselves unto all wickedness. Grew.
    A leafless and simple branch . . . devoted to the purpose of climbing. Gray.
    Syn. -- To addict; apply; dedicate; consecrate; resign; destine; doom; consign. See Addict.
De*vote" adjective
Etymology
L. devotus, p. p.
Definitions
  1. Devoted; addicted; devout. Obs. Milton.
De*vote" noun
Definitions
  1. A devotee. Obs. Sir E. Sandys.

Webster 1913