When you “apply” pressure to a wound, you make forceful contact with it in order to stop the bleeding. When you give a dingy wall a fresh “application” of paint, you lay paint onto the wall in such a way that it sticks and thereby affects the looks of the wall. When you speak of “applied” science, you mean theory worked out in various useful ways that make a difference in everyday living. To “apply” is to bring one thing into contact with another in such a way that the two