Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - application

 noun  Etymology: Middle English applicacioun, from Latin ~-, applicatio inclination, from applicare  Date: 15th century  1. an act of applying:  a.  (1) an act of putting to use ~ of new techniques  (2) a use to which something is put new ~s for old remedies  (3) a program (as a word processor or a spreadsheet) that performs one of the major tasks for which a computer is used  b. an act of administering or superposing ~ of paint to a house  c. assiduous attention succeeds by ~ to her studies  2.  a. request, petition an ~ for financial aid  b. a form used in making a request  3. the practical inference to be derived from a discourse (as a moral tale)  4. a medicated or protective layer or material an oily ~ for dry skin  5. capacity for practical use words of varied ~