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The object aimed at in any effort considered as the close and effect of exertion; ppurpose; intention; aim; as, to labor for private or public ends. Losing her, the end of living lose. Dryden. When every man is his own end, all things will come to a bad end. Coleridge.

To exert physical or intellectual strength for the attainment of; to use efforts to effect; to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt. It is our duty to endeavor the recovery of these beneficial subjects. Ld. Chatham. To endeavor one's self, to exert one's self strenuously to the fulfillment of a duty. [Obs.] "…

One who makes an effort or attempt. [Written also endeavourer.]

To employ the attention and efforts of; to occupy; to engross; to draw on. Thus shall mankind his guardian care engage. Pope. Taking upon himself the difficult task of engaging him in conversation. Hawthorne.

To use contrivance and effort for; to guide the course of; to manage; as, to engineer a bill through Congress. [Colloq.]

An effort made, or exertion of body or mind, for the performance of anything; a trial; attempt; as, to make an essay to benefit a friend. "The essay at organization." M. Arnold.

; as, the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (c) A traveling preacher whose efforts are chiefly directed to arouse to immediate repentance. The Apostles, so far as they evangelized, might claim the tittle though there were many evangelists who were not Apistles. Plumptre.

to the four evangelists; designed or fitted to evangelize; evangelical; as, evangelistic efforts.

To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious; to affect; to discipline; as, exercised with pain. Where pain of unextinguishable fire Must exercise us without hope of end. Milton.

To put forth, as the result or exercise of effort; to bring to bear; to do or perform. When we will has exerted an act of command on any faculty of the soul or member of the body. South. To exert one's self, to use efforts or endeavors; to strive; to make an attempt.

erting, or putting into motion or action; the active exercise of any power or faculty; an effort, esp. a laborious or perceptible effort; as, an exertion of strength or power; an exertion of the limbs or of the mind; it is an exertion for him to move, to-day.

waiting for the efforts of nature, with little active treatment. Expectant estate (Law), an estate in expectancy. See under Expectancy.

The leaving of the disease principally to the efforts of nature to effect a cure. Expectation of life, the mean or average duration of the life individuals after any specified age.

in a weak or feeble manner; not exhibiting vigor, strength, or energy; slight; as, faint efforts; faint resistance. The faint prosecution of the war. Sir J. Davies.

out of a lurking place, as a ferret does the cony; to search out by patient and sagacious efforts; -- often used with out; as, to ferret out a secret. Master Fer! I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. Shak.

To gain, as the object of desire or effort; as, to find leisure; to find means.

A passing humor; a caprice; a sudden and unusual effort, activity, or motion, followed by relaxation or insction; an impulse and irregular action. The fits of the season. Shak.

A failure or abortive effort. [Colloq.]

in the pan of a flintlock musket without discharging the piece; hence, sudden, spasmodic effort that accomplishes nothing.

To throw with a jerk or quick effort; to fling suddenly; as, they flirt water in each other's faces; he flirted a glove, or a handkerchief.