Verb

(operat)

(transitive, or, intransitive) To perform a work or labour; to exert power or strength, physical or mechanical; to act.

(transitive, or, intransitive) To produce an appropriate physical effect; to issue in the result designed by nature; especially (medicine) to take appropriate effect on the human system.

(transitive, or, intransitive) To act or produce effect on the mind; to exert moral power or influence.

* Atterbury

The virtues of private persons operate but on a few.

* Jonathan Swift

A plain, convincing reason operates on the mind both of a learned and ignorant hearer as long as they live.

To perform some manual act upon a human body in a methodical manner, and usually with instruments, with a view to restore soundness or health, as in amputation, lithotomy, etc.

(transitive, or, intransitive) To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to speculative profits.

(transitive, or, intransitive) To produce, as an effect; to cause.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01, author=Robert L. Dorit, volume=100, issue=1, page=23

, magazine= , title= Rereading Darwin , passage=We live our lives in three dimensions for our threescore and ten allotted years. Yet every branch of contemporary science, from statistics to cosmology, alludes to processes that operate on scales outside of human experience: the millisecond and the nanometer, the eon and the light-year.}}

(transitive, or, intransitive) To put into, or to continue in, operation or activity; to work.

to operate a machine

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-14, author=(Jonathan Freedland)

, volume=189, issue=1, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Obama's once hip brand is now tainted , passage=Now we are liberal with our innermost secrets, spraying them into the public ether with a generosity our forebears could not have imagined. Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet.}}

Verb

(en verb)

To negotiate, discuss terms, bargain (for'' or ''with ).

* 1955 , , The Return of the King , George Allen & Unwin:

Now halting a few paces before the Captains of the West he looked them up and down and laughed. 'Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me?' he asked.

* 1985 , (Lawrence Durrell), Quinx'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 1365:

After all, in this hideous war we have just passed through never forget that Halifax would have treated with Hitler: it took Churchill to refuse.

* 2010 , David Mitchell, The Observer , 6 Jun 2010:

I wouldn't promote businesses I considered immoral – ambulance-chasing lawyers or online roulette for example – but I've got nothing against computer or software manufacture: they're important and any reputable company in that industry is welcome to treat for my services.

To discourse; to handle a subject in writing or speaking; to conduct a discussion.

Cicero's writing treats mainly of old age and personal duty.

* Milton

Now of love they treat .

To discourse on; to represent or deal with in a particular way, in writing or speaking.

The article treated feminism as a quintessentially modern movement.

(transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To entreat or beseech (someone).

Only let my family live, I treat thee.

To handle, deal with or behave towards in a specific way.

You treated me like a fool.

She was tempted to treat the whole affair as a joke.

To entertain with food or drink, especially at one's own expense; to show hospitality to; to pay for as celebration or reward.

I treated my son to some popcorn in the interval.

I've done so well this month, I'll treat''' you all to dinner (or 'Dinner is my '''treat .)

My husband treated me to a Paris holiday for our anniversary.

To care for medicinally or surgically; to apply medical care to.

They treated me for malaria.

To subject to a chemical or other action; to act upon with a specific scientific result in mind.

He treated the substance with sulphuric acid.

I treated the photo somewhat to make the colours more pronounced.

* 2012 , Chelsea 6-0 Wolves [http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19632463]

The Chelsea captain was a virtual spectator as he was treated to his side's biggest win for almost two years as Stamford Bridge serenaded him with chants of "there's only one England captain," some 48 hours after he announced his retirement from international football.