1. [v]  ask (for something); "He applied for a leave of absence"; "She applied for college"; "apply for a job"
2. [v]  refer (a word or name) to a person or thing; "He applied this racial slur to me!"
3. [v]  put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't make use of this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"
4. [v]  apply to a surface; "She applied paint to the back of the house"; "Put on make-up!"
5. [v]  give or convey physically; "She gave him First Aid"; "I gave him a punch in the nose"
6. [v]  ensure observance of laws and rules; "Apply the rules to everyone";
7. [v]  avail oneself to; "apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance"
8. [v]  apply oneself to; "Please apply yourself to your homework"
9. [v]  be pertinent or relevant or applicable; "The same laws apply to you!"; "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone"
10. [v]  be applicable to; as to an analysis; "This theory lends itself well to our new data"

APPLY is a 5 letter word that starts with A.

1. \Ap*ply"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Applied}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Applying}.] [OF. aplier, F. appliquer, fr. L. applicare to
   join, fix, or attach to; ad + plicare to fold, to twist
   together. See {Applicant}, {Ply}.]
   1. To lay or place; to put or adjust (one thing to another);
      -- with to; as, to apply the hand to the breast; to apply
      medicaments to a diseased part of the body.
            He said, and the sword his throat applied. --Dryden.
   2. To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose,
      or in a particular case; to appropriate; to devote; as, to
      apply money to the payment of a debt.
   3. To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable,
      fitting, or relative; as, to apply the testimony to the
      case; to apply an epithet to a person.
            Yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom
            applied.                              --Milton.
   4. To fix closely; to engage and employ diligently, or with
      attention; to attach; to incline.
            Apply thine heart unto instruction.   --Prov. xxiii.
                                                  12.
   5. To direct or address. [R.]
            Sacred vows . . . applied to grisly Pluto. --Pope.
   6. To betake; to address; to refer; -- used reflexively.
            I applied myself to him for help.     --Johnson.
   7. To busy; to keep at work; to ply. [Obs.]
            She was skillful in applying his ``humors.'' --Sir
                                                  P. Sidney.
   8. To visit. [Obs.]
            And he applied each place so fast.    --Chapman.
   {Applied chemistry}. See under {Chemistry}.
   {Applied mathematics}. See under {Mathematics}.
   

2. \Ap*ply"\, v. i.
   1. To suit; to agree; to have some connection, agreement, or
      analogy; as, this argument applies well to the case.
   2. To make request; to have recourse with a view to gain
      something; to make application. (to); to solicit; as, to
      apply to a friend for information.
   3. To ply; to move. [R.]
            I heard the sound of an oar applying swiftly through
            the water.                            --T. Moore.
   4. To apply or address one's self; to give application; to
      attend closely (to).