act
noun
- Something done, a deed.
"an act of goodwill"
- Actuality.
- Something done once and for all, as distinguished from a work.
- A product of a legislative body, a statute.
- The process of doing something.
"He was caught in the act of stealing."
- A formal or official record of something done.
- A division of a theatrical performance.
"The pivotal moment in the play was in the first scene of the second act."
- A performer or performers in a show.
"Which act did you prefer? The soloist or the band?"
- Any organized activity.
- A display of behaviour.
- A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student.
- A display of behaviour meant to deceive.
"to put on an act"
verb
- To do something.
"If you don't act soon, you will be in trouble."
- To do (something); to perform.
- To perform a theatrical role.
"I started acting at the age of eleven in my local theatre."
- Of a play: to be acted out (well or badly).
- To behave in a certain manner for an indefinite length of time.
"A dog which acts aggressively is likely to bite."
- To convey an appearance of being.
"He acted unconcerned so the others wouldn't worry."
- To do something that causes a change binding on the doer.
"act on behalf of John"
- (construed with on or upon) To have an effect (on).
"Gravitational force acts on heavy bodies."
- To play (a role).
"He's been acting Shakespearean leads since he was twelve."
- To feign.
"He acted the angry parent, but was secretly amused."
- (construed with on or upon, of a group) To map via a homomorphism to a group of automorphisms (of).
"This group acts on the circle, so it can't be left-orderable!"
- To move to action; to actuate; to animate.
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