administer

Etymology

From Middle English administren, from Old French aminister, from Latin administrare (“to manage, execute”), from ad (“to”) + ministrare (“to attend, serve”), from minister (“servant”); see minister.

verb

1. (transitive) To apportion out, distribute.
2. (transitive) To manage or supervise the conduct, performance or execution of; to govern or regulate the parameters for the conduct, performance or execution of; to work in an administrative capacity.
   Located in the northwestern side of the Black Sea, Snake Island, or called ostriv Zmiyinyy in Ukrainian and Insula Serpilor in Romanian, is currently administered by Ukraine but claimed by Romania. 2006, Rongxing Guo, Territorial Disputes and Resource Management: A Global Handbook, →OCLC, page 224
3. (intransitive) To minister (to).
   administering to the sick
4. (law) To settle, as the estate of one who dies without a will, or whose will fails of an executor.
5. To give, as an oath.
6. (transitive) (medicine) To give (a drug, to a patient), be it orally or by any other means.
   1. (transitive) (medicine) To cause (a patient, human or animal) to ingest (a drug), either by openly offering or through deceit.
      We administered the medicine to our dog by mixing it in his food.