| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| execute |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ex·e·cute |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   k s -ky t |
| TRANSITIVE VERB: | Inflected forms: ex·e·cut·ed, ex·e·cut·ing, ex·e·cutes
1. To put into effect; carry out: a government that executes the decisions of the ruling party. 2. To perform; do: execute a U-turn. See synonyms at perform. 3. To create (a work of art, for example) in accordance with a prescribed design. 4. To make valid, as by signing: execute a deed. 5. To perform or carry out what is required by: execute the terms of a will. 6. To put to death, especially by carrying out a lawful sentence. 7. Computer Science To run (a program or an instruction). | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English executen, from Old French executer, from Medieval Latin exec t re, from Latin exector, executor, from exectus, past participle of exequ , exsequ, to pursue, carry out : ex-, ex- + sequ, to follow; see sekw-1 in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | exe·cuta·ble —ADJECTIVE
exe·cuter —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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