use

[v. yooz or for pt for mof 9, yoost; n. yoos] /v. yuz or for pt for mof 9, yust; n. yus/
verb (used with object), used, using.
1.
to employ for some purpose; put into service; make use of:
to use a knife.
2.
to avail oneself of; apply to one's own purposes:
to use the facilities.
3.
to expend or consume in use:
We have used the money provided.
4.
to treat or behave toward:
He did not use his employees with much consideration.
5.
to take unfair advantage of; exploit:
to use people to gain one's own ends.
6.
to drink, smoke, or ingest habitually:
to use drugs.
7.
to habituate or accustom.
8.
Archaic. to practice habitually or customarily; make a practice of.
verb (used without object), used, using.
9.
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.
10.
Archaic. to resort, stay, or dwell customarily.
noun
11.
the act of employing, using, or putting into service:
the use of tools.
12.
the state of being employed or used.
13.
an instance or way of employing or using something:
proper use of the tool; the painter's use of color.
14.
a way of being employed or used; a purpose for which something is used:
He was of temporary use. The instrument has different uses.
15.
the power, right, or privilege of employing or using something:
to lose the use of the right eye; to be denied the use of a library card.
16.
service or advantage in or for being employed or used; utility or usefulness:
of no practical use.
17.
help; profit; resulting good:
What's the use of pursuing the matter?
18.
occasion or need, as for something to be employed or used:
Would you have any use for another calendar?
19.
continued, habitual, or customary employment or practice; custom:
to follow the prevailing use of such occasions.
20.
Law.
  1. the enjoyment of property, as by the employment, occupation, or exercise of it.
  2. the benefit or profit of lands and tenements in the possession of another who simply holds them for the beneficiary.
  3. the equitable ownership of land to which the legal title is in another's name.
21.
Liturgy. the distinctive form of ritual or of any liturgical observance used in a particular church, diocese, community, etc.
22.
usual or customary experience.
Verb phrases
23.
use up,
  1. to consume entirely.
  2. to exhaust of vigor or usefulness; finish:
    By the end of the war he felt used up and sick of life.
Idioms
24.
have no use for,
  1. to have no occasion or need for:
    She appears to have no use for the city.
  2. to refuse to tolerate; discount:
    He had no use for his brother.
  3. to have a distaste for; dislike:
    He has no use for dictators.
25.
make use of, to use for one's own purposes; employ:
Charitable organizations will make use of your old furniture and clothing.
26.
of no use, of no advantage or help:
It's of no use to look for that missing earring. It's no use asking her to go.
Also, no use.
27.
put to use, to apply; employ to advantage:
What a shame that no one has put that old deserted mansion to use!
Origin
1175-1225; (v.) Middle English usen < Old French user < Latin ūsus, past participle of ūtī to use; (noun) Middle English < Old French < Latin ūsus act of using a thing, application, employment, equivalent to ūt-, stem of ūtī to use + -tus suffix of v. action, with tt > s
Related forms
multiuse, adjective
nonuse, noun
nonusing, adjective
reuse, verb, reused, reusing, noun
underuse, verb (used with object), underused, underusing, noun
Can be confused
use, usage, utilize (see usage note at usage; see synonym study at the current entry)
Synonyms
1. Use, utilize mean to make something serve one's purpose. Use is the general word: to use a telephone; to use a saw and other tools; to use one's eyes; to use eggs in cooking. (What is used often has depreciated or been diminished, sometimes completely consumed: a used automobile; All the butter has been used. ) As applied to persons, use implies some selfish or sinister purpose: to use another to advance oneself. Utilize implies practical or profitable use: to utilize the means at hand, a modern system of lighting. 3. exhaust, waste. 7. familiarize, inure. 12. employment, utilization, application, exercise. 13. handling.
Usage note
See usage.
British Dictionary definitions for make use of

use

verb (transitive) (juːz)
1.
to put into service or action; employ for a given purpose: to use a spoon to stir with
2.
to make a practice or habit of employing; exercise: he uses his brain
3.
to behave towards: to use a friend well
4.
to behave towards in a particular way for one's own ends: he uses people
5.
to consume, expend, or exhaust: the engine uses very little oil
6.
(mainly US & Canadian) to partake of (alcoholic drink, drugs, etc) or smoke (tobacco, marijuana, etc)
noun (juːs)
7.
the act of using or the state of being used: the carpet wore out through constant use
8.
the ability, right, or permission to use
9.
the occasion to use; need: I have no use for this paper
10.
an instance or manner of using
11.
usefulness; advantage: it is of no use to complain
12.
custom; practice; habit: long use has inured him to it
13.
the purpose for which something is used; end
14.
(Christianity) a distinctive form of liturgical or ritual observance, esp one that is traditional in a Church or group of Churches
15.
the enjoyment of property, land, etc, by occupation or by deriving revenue or other benefit from it
16.
(law) the beneficial enjoyment of property the legal title to which is held by another person as trustee
17.
(law) an archaic word for trust (sense 7)
18.
(philosophy, logic, linguistics) the occurrence of an expression in such a context that it performs its own linguistic function rather than being itself referred to. In "Fido" refers to Fido, the name Fido is 'used' only on the second occurrence, first being mentioned Compare mention (sense 7) See also material mode
19.
have no use for
  1. to have no need of
  2. to have a contemptuous dislike for
20.
make use of
  1. to employ; use
  2. to exploit (a person)
See also used to, use up
Word Origin
C13: from Old French user to use, from Latin ūsus having used, from ūtī to use
Word Origin and History for make use of

use

v.

mid-13c., from Old French user "use, employ, practice," from Vulgar Latin *usare "use," frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti "to use," in Old Latin oeti "use, employ, exercise, perform," of unknown origin. Related: Used; using. Replaced Old English brucan (see brook (v.)).

n.

early 13c., from Old French us, from Latin usus "use, custom, skill, habit," from past participle stem of uti (see use (v.)).

Slang definitions & phrases for make use of

use

verb

To use narcotics; take a dose or injection of a narcotic: I used this morning and I'm still nice (1950s+ Narcotics)


Idioms and Phrases with make use of

make use of

Utilize, use, as in I hope readers will make use of this dictionary. This expression dates from the late 1500s. Shakespeare had it in The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2:4).
Encyclopedia Article for make use of

use

in medieval English property law, the right of one person to take the profits of land belonging to another. It involved at least two and usually three persons. One man (A) would convey or enfeoff land to another (B) on the condition that the latter would use it not for his own benefit but for the benefit of a third man (C)-who could be A himself. C (or A), thus, had the profits-that is, the use-of the land and could treat the land as he pleased. This legal institution, which arose as early as the 11th century, came to be employed not only as a legitimate method of providing for property management and for conveyancing but also as a method of defrauding creditors, depriving feudal landlords of their dues, and permitting religious institutions to derive the benefit of land that they could not own directly.

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