Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - devote

 transitive verb  (~d; devoting)  Etymology: Latin devotus, past participle of devovere, from de- + vovere to vow  Date: 1586  1. to commit by a solemn act ~d herself to serving God  2. to give over or direct (as time, money, or effort) to a cause, enterprise, or activity  • ~ment noun Synonyms:  ~, dedicate, consecrate, hallow mean to set apart for a special and often higher end. ~ is likely to imply compelling motives and often attachment to an objective ~d his evenings to study. dedicate implies solemn and exclusive devotion to a sacred or serious use or purpose dedicated her life to medical research. consecrate stresses investment with a solemn or sacred quality consecrate a church to the worship of God. hallow often differing little from dedicate or consecrate, may distinctively imply an attribution of intrinsic sanctity battlegrounds hallowed by the blood of patriots.