occupy

Universal Words verb (occupies, occupying, occupied, occupied) 1 [VN] to fill or use a space, an area or an amount of time SYNTAKEUP: The bed seemed to occupy most of the room. * How much memory does the program occupy? * Administrative work occupies half of my time. 2 [VN] (formal) to live or work in a room, house or building: He occupies an office on the 12th floor. 3 [VN] to enter a place in a large group and take control of it, especially by military force: The capital has been occupied by the rebel army. * Protesting students occupied the TV station. 4 ~ sb / yourself (in doing sth / with sb/sth) to fill your time or keep you busy doing sth: [VN] a game that will occupy the kids for hours * She occupied herself with routine office tasks. * Problems at work continued to occupy his mind for some time. [also VN-ing] 5 [VN] to have an official job or position SYNHOLD: The president occupies the position for four years. * jobs that have traditionally been occupied by men