Occupy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Occupied; p. pr. & vb. n. Occupying.]
Etymology: [OE. occupien, F. occuper, fr.L. occupare; ob (see Ob-) + a word akin to capere to take. See Capacious.]
1. To take or hold possession of; to hold or keep for use; to possess. Woe occupieth the fine [/end] of our gladness. Chaucer. The better apartments were already occupied. W. Irving .
2. To hold, or fill, the dimensions of; to take up the room or space of; to cover or fill; as, the camp occupies five acres of ground. Sir J. Herschel.
3. To possess or use the time or capacity of; to engage the service of; to employ; to busy. An archbishop may have cause to occupy more chaplains than six. Eng. Statute (Hen. VIII. ) They occupied themselves about the Sabbath. 2 Macc. viii. 27.
4. To do business in; to busy one's self with. [Obs.] All the ships of the sea, with their mariners, were in thee to occupy the merchandise. Ezek. xxvii. 9. Not able to occupy their old crafts. Robynson (More's Utopia).
2 more senses
5. To use; to expend; to make use of. [Obs.] All the gold that was occupied for the work. Ex. xxxviii. 24. They occupy not money themselves. Robynson (More's Utopia).
6. To have sexual intercourse with. [Obs.] Nares.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Occupy, v. i.
1. To hold possession; to be an occupant. "Occupy till I come." Luke xix. 13.
2. To follow business; to traffic.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for occupy; he lists it under entertain, have.
Where he writes about it:
We beguile a weary hour, cheer the despondent, divert the preoccupied, enliven a dull evening or company, gratify our friends' wishes, entertain, interest, please a listening audience, occupy idle time, disport ourselves when merry, recreate when worn with toil; we amuse ourselves or others with whatever pleasantly passes the time without special exertion, each according to his taste. — from entertain
To own is to have the right of property in; to possess is to have that right in actual exercise; to occupy is to have possession and use, with some degree of permanency, with or without ownership. — from have