use
UK /juːs/ · US /jus/ noun, verb
Forms uses using used usest usedst useth
- noun The act of using. “The use of torture has been condemned by the United Nations.”
- noun (uncountable) The act of consuming alcohol or narcotics.
- noun (uncountable, followed by of) Usefulness, utility, benefit; purpose, point. “What's the use of a law that nobody follows?”
- noun A function; a purpose for which something may be employed. “This tool has many uses.”
- noun Occasion or need to employ; necessity. “I have no further use for these textbooks, but we may have use for all these other things later.”
- noun (obsolete, rare) Interest for lent money; premium paid for the use of something; usury.
- noun (archaic) Continued or repeated practice; usage; habit.
- noun (obsolete) Common occurrence; ordinary experience.
- verb (transitive) To employ; to apply; to utilize. “Use this knife to slice the bread.”
- verb (transitive, often with up) To expend; to consume by employing. “I used the money they allotted me.”
- verb (transitive) To exploit. “You never cared about me; you just used me!”
- verb (transitive) To consume (alcohol, drugs, etc), especially regularly. “He uses cocaine.”
- verb (intransitive) To consume a previously specified substance, especially a drug to which one is addicted. “Richard began experimenting with cocaine last year; now he uses almost every day.”
- verb (transitive, with auxiliary “could”) To benefit from; to be able to employ or stand. “I could use a drink.”
- verb (transitive, with gender pronouns as object) To suggest or request that other people employ a specific set of gender pronouns when referring to the subject. “I use they/them pronouns.”
- verb To accustom; to habituate. (Now common only in participial form. Uses the same pronunciation as the noun; see usage notes.) “soldiers who are used to hardships and danger”
Synonyms
employment usage note nait meaning meaningfulness apply employ engage utilise utilize exploit take advantage of go by utilization utilisation exercise function purpose role consumption economic consumption usance use of goods and services habit manipulation enjoyment habituate expend practice
Antonyms
no use uselessness pointlessness purposelessness meaninglessness
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English use, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus (“use, custom, skill, habit”), from past participle stem of ūtor (“use”). Displaced native Middle English note (“use”) (see note) from Old English notu; Middle English nutte (“use”) from Old English nytt; as well as Old English fricu and Old English sidu.
Inherited from Middle English usen, from Old French user (“use, employ, practice”), from Medieval Latin usare (“use”), frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti (“to use”). Displaced native Middle English noten, nutten (“to use”) (from Old English notian, nēotan, nyttian) and Middle English brouken, bruken (“to use, enjoy”) (from Old English brūcan).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of employing anything, or of applying it to one's service; the state of being so employed or applied; application; employment; conversion to some purpose; as, the use of a pen in writing; his machines are in general use. Books can never teach the use of books. Bacon.
- noun Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no further use for a book. Shak.
- verb To make use of; to convert to one's service; to avail one's self of; to employ; to put a purpose; as, to use a plow; to use a chair; to use time; to use flour for food; to use water for irrigation.
- verb To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat; as, to use a beast cruelly. "I will use him well." Shak.
Etymology [OE. us use, usage, L. usus, from uti, p. p. usus, to use. See Use, v. t.]
Etymology [OE. usen, F. user to use, use up, wear out, LL. usare to use, from L. uti, p. p. usus, to use, OL. oeti, oesus; of uncertain origin. Cf. Utility.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “use”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details