use

v. [[t]yuz[/t]] or, for pt. form of 9, [[t]yust[/t]] n. [[t]yus[/t]]

v. used, us•ing, n.

1) to employ for some purpose; put into service:

to use a knife[/ex]

2) to avail oneself of; apply to one's own purposes:

to use the facilities[/ex]

3) cvb to consume, expend, or exhaust (often fol. by up)

4) to treat or behave toward:

He used his employees well[/ex]

5) cvb to take unfair advantage of; exploit

6) cvb to drink, smoke, or ingest habitually:

to use drugs[/ex]

7) to habituate or accustom

8) to be accustomed, wont, or customarily found (used with an infinitive expressed or understood, and, except in archaic use, now only in the past):

He used to go every day[/ex]

9) archaic to resort, stay, or dwell customarily

10) the act of using or the state of being used

11) an instance or way of using something:

a painter's use of color[/ex]

12) a way of being used; a purpose for which something is used

13) the power, right, or privilege of using something:

to lose the use of an eye[/ex]

14) service or advantage in or for being used; utility or usefulness:

of no practical use[/ex]

15) help; profit; resulting good:

What's the use of complaining?[/ex]

16) occasion or need, as for something to be used:

Have you any use for another calendar?[/ex]

17) continued, habitual, or customary employment or practice; custom

18) law Law.

a) law the enjoyment of property, as by occupation or employment of it

b) law the benefits or profits of property held by another for the beneficiary

19) rel the distinctive form of ritual or of any liturgical observance used in a particular church, diocese, community, etc

•

- have no use for make use of put to use

Etymology: 1175–1225; (v.) ME < OF user < L ūsus, ptp. of ūtī to use; (n.) ME < OF < L ūsus act of using a thing, application, employment syn: use, utilize mean to put something into action or service. use is a general word referring to the application of something to a given purpose: to use a telephone. use may also imply that the thing is consumed or diminished in the process: I used all the butter. When applied to persons, use implies a selfish or sinister purpose: He used his friend to advance himself. utilize, a more formal word, implies practical, profitable, or creative use: to utilize solar energy to run a machine.