from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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.]
1. To move to action; to actuate; to animate. [Obs.]
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Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul.
--Pope.
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2. To perform; to execute; to do. [Archaic]
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That we act our temporal affairs with a desire no
greater than our necessity. --Jer. Taylor.
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Industry doth beget by producing good habits, and
facility of acting things expedient for us to do.
--Barrow.
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Uplifted hands that at convenient times
Could act extortion and the worst of crimes.
--Cowper.
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3. To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the
stage.
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4. To assume the office or character of; to play; to
personate; as, to act the hero.
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5. To feign or counterfeit; to simulate.
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With acted fear the villain thus pursued. --Dryden.
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{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.
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