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Misuse

 [n. mis-yoos; v. mis-yooz]   Origin

mis·use

   [n. mis-yoos; v. mis-yooz] noun, verb, -used, -us·ing.
noun
1.
wrong or improper use; misapplication.
2.
Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.
verb (used with object)
3.
to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.
4.
to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.

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Misuse is one of our favorite verbs.
So is peculate. Does it mean:
to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.
to spend time idly; loaf.
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Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English; see mis-1, use

Synonyms
1. misemployment, misappropriation.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
misuse
 
—n
1.  erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use: misuse of words
2.  cruel or inhumane treatment
 
—vb
3.  to use wrongly
4.  to treat badly or harshly
5.  to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

misuse
late 14c., "to use improperly;" see mis- (1) + use (v.). Meaning "to subject to ill-treatment" is attested from 1540. The noun is from late 14c., in a sense related to the older meaning of the verb.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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