/'ɒkjʊpaɪ; `ɑkjə,paɪ/
v (pt, pp -pied)
1 [Tn] live in or have possession of (a house, land, etc) 占用, 占有（房屋、土地等）
*They occupy the house next door. 他们住在隔壁.
* The family have occupied the farm for many years. 这一家在农场已居住多年.
2 [Tn] take possession of and establish troops in (a country, position, etc) （军事）占领（国家、阵地等）
*The army occupied the enemy's capital. 军队占领了敌国首都.
3 [Tn] take up or fill (time, space, sb's mind, etc) 占据, 充满（时间、空间、某人的头脑等）
*The speeches occupied three hours. 发言共占去三小时.
* A bed occupied the corner of the room. 一张床占去了房间的一角.
* Her time is fully occupied with her three children. 她的时间全部用在她的三个孩子身上了.
* Many problems occupied his mind. 他脑子里装着许多问题.
4 [Tn, Tn.pr] ~ oneself (in doing sth/with sth) fill one's time or keep oneself busy (doing sth/ with sth) 忙着（做某事物）; 忙（于某事物）
*How does he occupy himself now he's retired? 他既已退休, 那如何打发日子呢?
* The child occupied himself in playing his flute. 那孩子只顾着吹笛子.
5 [Tn] hold or fill (an official position) 担任（某职）; 居（某地位）
*My sister occupies an important position in the Department of the Environment. 我姐姐在环境部担任要职.
6 [Tn] place oneself in (a building, etc) as a political or other demonstration （作政治等方面示威）占领, 占据（某建筑物等）
*The terrorists have occupied the Embassy. 恐怖分子占领了大使馆.
* The striking office workers have occupied the whole building. 罢工的办公室人员占据了整座建筑物.

v past tense and past participleoccupiedpresent participleoccupyingthird person singularoccupies [T]

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1【stay in a place】
2【fill time】
3【control by force】
4【fill space】
5 occupy somebody's mind/thoughts/attention
6【use】
7【official position】

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[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French;Origin: occuper, from Latin occupare]
【STAY IN A PLACE】
to live or stay in a place
　He occupies the house without paying any rent.
　The building was purchased and occupied by its new owners last year.
【FILL TIME】
if something occupies you or your time, you are busy doing it
　Football occupies most of my leisure time.
occupy sb with (doing) sth
　Only six percent of police time is occupied with criminal incidents.
【CONTROL BY FORCE】
to enter a place in a large group and keep control of it, especially by military force
→invade
　an occupying army
　Students occupied Sofia university on Monday.
【FILL SPACE】
to fill a particular amount of space
　Family photos occupied almost the entire wall.
occupy sb's mind/thoughts/attention
if something occupies your mind etc, you think about that thing more than anything else
→preoccupy
　Work will occupy your mind and help you forget about him.
【USE】
to use something such as a room, seat, or bed
　Many patients who are occupying hospital beds could be transferred to other places.
【OFFICIAL POSITION】
to have an official position or job
　Before becoming prime minister, he had already occupied several cabinet posts.
→occupied