The Collaborative International Dictionary
Act \Act\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Acted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acting.] [L. actus, p. p. of agere to drive, lead, do; but influenced by E. act, n.]
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To move to action; to actuate; to animate. [Obs.]
Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul.
--Pope. -
To perform; to execute; to do. [Archaic]
That we act our temporal affairs with a desire no greater than our necessity.
--Jer. Taylor.Industry doth beget by producing good habits, and facility of acting things expedient for us to do.
--Barrow.Uplifted hands that at convenient times Could act extortion and the worst of crimes.
--Cowper. To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the stage.
To assume the office or character of; to play; to personate; as, to act the hero.
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To feign or counterfeit; to simulate.
With acted fear the villain thus pursued.
--Dryden.To act a part, to sustain the part of one of the characters in a play; hence, to simulate; to dissemble.
To act the part of, to take the character of; to fulfill the duties of.
Usage examples of "to act a part".
When I'm at home I'm not terrifically American, but over here I have to act a part, or disappear.
Fortunately, it is difficult for little sinners to act a part, and, even if the face is hidden, something in the body seems to betray the internal remorse and shame.
Or that passion to act a part that sometimes makes us do things finer than we are ourselves?