# study

Pronunciation: say "STUD-ee" /ˈstʌd.i/

## Verb

1. To devote time and attention to gaining knowledge of a subject, as by taking courses, reading, or reviewing material, for example before an exam.
   - Simple: To learn about a subject by taking classes, reading, or going over what you learned, for example before a test.
   - _He studied philosophy at the university for three years._
   - _Thousands of students study economics every year._
4. To look at, examine, or think about something closely and in detail.
   - Simple: To look at or think about something very carefully and in detail.
   - _He studied the map closely before choosing a route._
   - _Art historians study brushstrokes to identify a forgery._

## Noun

2. The careful examination or investigation of something.
   - Simple: The act of looking at or examining something closely.
   - _The proposal is still under study by the committee._
   - _These ruins have been the object of much scholarly study._
3. A piece of research that investigates a particular question, or the written report that presents its findings.
   - Simple: A piece of research on a question, or the written report of what it found.
   - _The study found a clear link between diet and heart disease._
   - _Researchers cited an earlier study on climate patterns._
5. A branch of learning that one pursues, or any subject given close attention.
   - Simple: A subject that you learn about or think about carefully.
   - _Ancient languages were the chief study of his career._
   - _The migration of birds became her main study._
6. The mental effort applied to acquiring knowledge or learning a subject.
   - Simple: The work your mind does to learn something.
   - _Her success in mathematics came from years of patient study._
   - _Mastery of the violin demands hours of daily study._
7. A room in a house set aside for reading and writing.
   - Simple: A room in a home used for reading, writing, and quiet work.
   - _She retreated to her study to finish the manuscript._
   - _The lawyer kept his case files locked in the study._
8. A piece of artwork created to practice or demonstrate a subject or technique.
   - Simple: A piece of art made to practice or show a subject or skill.
   - _The gallery displayed several studies the painter made before the final canvas._
   - _This pencil study shows how the master planned the composition._
9. A musical piece composed for special practice; an etude.
   - Simple: A short piece of music written to practice a skill on an instrument.
   - _Chopin transformed the humble study into a vehicle for profound expression._
   - _She performed a demanding study that tested her left-hand agility._
11. Something, most often a person's face, that shows a feeling or quality so plainly that it seems a perfect example of it, as in 'a study in contrasts'.
   - Simple: A face or thing that shows a feeling or quality very clearly, as in 'a study in contrasts'.
   - _The boy's face was a perfect study in guilt as crumbs fell from his pocket._
   - _When the verdict was read aloud, the defendant's face was a study._
14. A person judged by how quickly they learn something, especially in 'a quick study'; originally, an actor learning a stage role.
   - Simple: A person thought of by how fast they learn things, at first used of actors learning their lines.
   - _As a quick study, he mastered the long monologue overnight._
   - _The new hire turned out to be a quick study, mastering the software within a week._

## Verb

10. To work diligently and earnestly toward a goal. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To try hard and work eagerly at something.

## Noun

12. Thought directed toward a particular purpose; the object of one's concern or aim. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A goal or concern that someone gives all their thought to.
13. A condition of mental perplexity or anxious, brooding thought. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A worried, confused state of mind.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A composed chess endgame, valued for its artistry, in which one side must play for a win or a draw.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 4, 10** — Latin studium was borrowed into Old French as the noun estudie, which produced the verb estudier (Modern French étudier) and then Middle English studien. The word took the place of native Old English cneordlæcan.
**Meanings 2–3, 5–9, 11–14** — The root is Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd-, meaning "to push, hit," which led to Latin studium ("zeal, dedication, study"). Old French borrowed it as estudie (Modern French étude), and Middle English made it studie. Etude and studio are doublets of this word.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/study (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).