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13 dictionary results for: Use

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry:	USE¹
Part of Speech:	n
Definition:	See US English

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7)
Copyright © 2007 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

use

[v. yooz or, for pt. form of 9, yoost; n. yoos] Pronunciation Key verb, used, us·ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

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)

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.

a.	the enjoyment of property, as by the employment, occupation, or exercise of it.

b.	the benefit or profit of lands and tenements in the possession of another who simply holds them for the beneficiary.

c.	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 phrase

23.

use up,

a.	to consume entirely.

b.	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,

a.	to have no occasion or need for: She appears to have no use for the city.

b.	to refuse to tolerate; discount: He had no use for his brother.

c.	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.) ME usen < OF user < L ūsus, ptp. of ūtī to use; (n.) ME < OF < L ūsus act of using a thing, application, employment, equiv. to ūt-, s. of ūtī to use + -tus suffix of v. action, with tt > s

]

—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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

use   (yōōz) Pronunciation Key
v.   used, us·ing, us·es

v.   tr.

To put into service or apply for a purpose; employ.
To avail oneself of; practice: use caution.
To conduct oneself toward; treat or handle: "the peace offering of a man who once used you unkindly" (Laurence Sterne).
To seek or achieve an end by means of; exploit: used their highly placed friends to gain access to the president; felt he was being used by seekers of favor.
To take or consume; partake of: She rarely used alcohol.

v. intr. (yōōs, yōōst)
Used in the past tense followed by to in order to indicate a former state, habitual practice, or custom: Mail service used to be faster.

n. (yōōs)

1. The act of using; the application or employment of something for a purpose: with the use of a calculator; skilled in the use of the bow and arrow.
2. The condition or fact of being used: a chair in regular use.
3. The permission, privilege, or benefit of using something: gave us the use of their summerhouse.
4. The power or ability to use something: lost the use of one arm.
5. Enjoyment of property, as by occupying or exercising it.
6. The benefit or profit of lands and tenements of which the legal title and possession are vested in another.
7. The arrangement establishing the equitable right to such benefits and profits.
The manner of using; usage: learned the proper use of power tools.
1. The permission, privilege, or benefit of using something: gave us the use of their summerhouse.
2. The power or ability to use something: lost the use of one arm.
3. Enjoyment of property, as by occupying or exercising it.
4. The benefit or profit of lands and tenements of which the legal title and possession are vested in another.
5. The arrangement establishing the equitable right to such benefits and profits.
The need or occasion to use or employ: have no use for these old clothes.
The quality of being suitable or adaptable to an end; usefulness: tried to be of use in the kitchen.
A purpose for which something is used: a tool with several uses; a pretty bowl, but of what use is it?
Gain or advantage; good: There's no use in discussing it. What's the use?
Accustomed or usual procedure or practice.
Law
1. Enjoyment of property, as by occupying or exercising it.
2. The benefit or profit of lands and tenements of which the legal title and possession are vested in another.
3. The arrangement establishing the equitable right to such benefits and profits.
A liturgical form practiced in a particular church, ecclesiastical district, or community.
Obsolete Usual occurrence or experience.

Phrasal Verb(s):
use up
To consume completely: used up all our money.

[Middle English usen, from Old French user, from Vulgar Latin *ūsāre, frequentative of Latin ūtī. N., Middle English, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus, from past participle of ūtī.]

Synonyms: These verbs mean to avail oneself of someone or something in order to make him, her, or it useful, functional, or beneficial. To use is to put into service or apply for a purpose: uses a hearing aid; used the press secretary as spokesperson; using a stick to stir the paint.
Employ is often interchangeable with use: She employed her education to maximum advantage.
It can also denote engaging or maintaining the services of another: "When men are employed, they are best contented" (Benjamin Franklin).
Utilize is especially appropriate in the narrower sense of making something profitable or of finding new and practical uses for it: Waterpower was once widely utilized to generate electricity. See Also Synonyms at habit.

(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
use (v.)

c.1240, from O.Fr. user "use, employ, practice," from V.L. *usare "use," frequentative form of pp. stem of L. uti "to use," in Old L. oeti "use, employ, exercise, perform," of unknown origin. Replaced O.E. brucan (see brook (v.)). Used "second-hand" is recorded from 1595. User is recorded from 1935 in the narcotics sense, 1967 in the computer sense. User-friendly (1977) is said in some sources to have been coined by software designer Harlan Crowder as early as 1972. Verbal phrase used to "formerly did or was" (as in I used to love her) represents a construction attested from 1303, and common from c.1400, but now surviving only in p.t. form. The pronunciation is affected by the t- of to.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
use (n.)

c.1225, from O.Fr. us, from L. usus "use, custom, skill, habit," from pp. stem of uti (see use (v.)). Useful is recorded from 1595; useless is first attested 1593.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

use
noun
1.	the act of using; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers"
2.	what something is used for; "the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?" [syn: function]
3.	a particular service; "he put his knowledge to good use"; "patrons have their uses"
4.	(economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing; "the consumption of energy has increased steadily" [syn: consumption]
5.	(psychology) an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition; "owls have nocturnal habits"; "she had a habit twirling the ends of her hair"; "long use had hardened him to it" [syn: habit]
6.	exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage; "his manipulation of his friends was scandalous" [syn: manipulation]
7.	(law) the exercise of the legal right to enjoy the benefits of owning property; "we were given the use of his boat"
verb
1.	put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"
2.	take or consume (regularly or habitually); "She uses drugs rarely"
3.	use up, consume fully; "The legislature expended its time on school questions"
4.	seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage; "She uses her influential friends to get jobs"; "The president's wife used her good connections"
5.	avail oneself to; "apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance" [syn: practice]
6.	habitually do something (use only in the past tense); "She used to call her mother every week but now she calls only occasionally"; "I used to get sick when I ate in that dining hall"; "They used to vacation in the Bahamas"

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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

use

In addition to the idioms beginning with use, also see have no use for; make use of; no use; put to good use. Also see under used.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: use
Pronunciation: 'yüs
Function: noun
1 a : an arrangement in which property is granted to another with the trust and confidence that the grantor or another is entitled to the beneficial enjoyment of it —see also TRUST Statute of Uses in the IMPORTANT LAWS section
NOTE: Uses originated in early English law and were the origin of the modern trust. Uses became popular in medieval England, where they were often secretly employed as a method of evading laws (as those prohibiting mortmain) and penalties (as attainder) and to defeat creditors. In response, the Statute of Uses was enacted in 1535. The purpose of the Statute was to execute the use, investing the legal ownership of the property in the cestui que use, or one entitled to the beneficial enjoyment, and abolishing the ownership of the grantee. The Statute did not have blanket application, however. Certain uses, particularly those in which the grantee was not merely a passive holder of the property, were not executed under the Statute. These uses were called trusts, and they were the basis of the modern trust. b : the right to the utilization and benefit of property to which legal title is held by another uses in early English law>; broadly : the fact or right of having the benefits and profits of property

beneficial use
: the use of a cestui que use analogous to a beneficial interest in a trust : USE 1b

re·sult·ing use
: a use that equity attributes back to a grantor when there is no person declared to receive it or no transfer of consideration

shift·ing use
: a use that is transferred or takes effect in derogation of some estate upon the happening of a future event

spring·ing use
: a use that arises upon the happening of a future event and is not in derogation of any other estate
2 : the utilization of property, resources, or services

beneficial use
1 : use of property that allows an owner to derive a benefit or profit in the exercise of a basic property right beneficial use of the property> —see also UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP —compare TAKING
2 : use of water for a reasonable or beneficial purpose consistent with the public interest beneficial use>

conditional use
: use of property in a zone for a particular purpose that is allowed under conditions set forth in a zoning ordinance : SPECIAL EXCEPTION

fair use
: a use of copyrighted material that does not constitute an infringement of the copyright provided the use is fair and reasonable and does not substantially impair the value of the work or the profits expected from it by its owner; also : the privilege of making a fair use of copyrighted work
NOTE: Among the factors determining if a use of a copyrighted work is a fair use are these: the purpose of the use, the character of the use (as in being commercial or educational in nature), the nature of the copyrighted work, and the amount of the work used.

non·con·form·ing use
: use of property in a manner that does not conform to the restrictions of a zoning law (as an ordinance); specifically : one in lawful existence when a restriction takes effect and so allowed to continue

public use
1 : use by or to the benefit of the public; broadly : use that serves a legitimate or conceivable public purpose public use, without just compensation —U.S. Constitution amendment V> —see also EMINENT DOMAIN —compare TAKING
NOTE: If a taking of property is not for public use then the consent of the owner is required.
2 : use of an invention by one who is under no limitation, restriction, or obligation of secrecy to the inventor
NOTE: Under federal law one is not entitled to a patent for an invention that was in public use more than a year prior to the date of application for the patent.

reasonable use
1 : a use of one's property or of water that is for a suitable and beneficial purpose and that does not lead to unreasonable interference with another's use of property or with the natural flow of water
2 a : a rule whereby one may alter the natural flow of a watercourse as part of the reasonable use of property even though some harm results to another landowner b : a rule whereby a use of the water under the surface of one's land that causes harm to an adjacent landowner is reasonable if made for a suitable purpose in connection with the overlying land
NOTE: This rule originated when cities began to use land in the country for wells that caused injury to adjacent farmers; the water was not for use there and so unreasonableness ultimately depended not on waste or harm but on the final destination of the water. c : a rule that recognizes a landowner as entitled to make a reasonable use of property if it does not cause unreasonable harm to another and that may be applied to the alteration of a watercourse, the drainage of surface water, and the use of water beneath the surface
3 : utilization of a motor vehicle in a manner that is not completely foreign to its purpose use of the car>

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Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: use
Pronunciation: 'yüz
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: used; us·ing
: to put into service : have enjoyment of —us·er noun

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Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

USE language
An early system on the IBM 1130.
[Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].
(2004-09-14)

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Use

Use\, n. [OE. us use, usage, L. usus, from uti, p. p. usus, to use. See Use, v. t.]

1. 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.

This Davy serves you for good uses. --Shak.

When he framed All things to man's delightful use. --Milton.

2. Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no further use for a book. --Shak.

3. Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of being used; usefulness; utility.

God made two great lights, great for their use To man. --Milton.

'T is use alone that sanctifies expense. --Pope.

4. Continued or repeated practice; customary employment; usage; custom; manner; habit.

Let later age that noble use envy. --Spenser.

How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! --Shak.

5. Common occurrence; ordinary experience. [R.]

O C[ae]sar! these things are beyond all use. --Shak.

6. (Eccl.) The special form of ritual adopted for use in any diocese; as, the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford use; the York use; the Roman use; etc.

From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use. --Pref. to Book of Common Prayer.

7. The premium paid for the possession and employment of borrowed money; interest; usury. [Obs.]

Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use and principal, to him. --Jer. Taylor.

8. [In this sense probably a corruption of OF. oes, fr. L. opus need, business, employment, work. Cf. Operate.] (Law) The benefit or profit of lands and tenements. Use imports a trust and confidence reposed in a man for the holding of lands. He to whose use or benefit the trust is intended shall enjoy the profits. An estate is granted and limited to A for the use of B.

9. (Forging) A stab of iron welded to the side of a forging, as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.

Contingent, or Springing, use (Law), a use to come into operation on a future uncertain event.

In use. (a) In employment; in customary practice observance. (b) In heat; -- said especially of mares. --J. H. Walsh.

Of no use, useless; of no advantage.

Of use, useful; of advantage; profitable.

Out of use, not in employment.

Resulting use (Law), a use, which, being limited by the deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to him who raised it, after such expiration.

Secondary, or Shifting, use, a use which, though executed, may change from one to another by circumstances. --Blackstone.

Statute of uses (Eng. Law), the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap. 10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites the use and possession.

To make use of, To put to use, to employ; to derive service from; to use.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Use

Use\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Used; p. pr. & vb. n. Using.] [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.]

1. 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.

Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs. --Shak.

Some other means I have which may be used. --Milton.

2. To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat; as, to use a beast cruelly. "I will use him well." --Shak.

How wouldst thou use me now? --Milton.

Cato has used me ill. --Addison.

3. To practice customarily; to make a practice of; as, to use diligence in business.

Use hospitality one to another. --1 Pet. iv. 9.

4. To accustom; to habituate; to render familiar by practice; to inure; -- employed chiefly in the passive participle; as, men used to cold and hunger; soldiers used to hardships and danger.

I am so used in the fire to blow. --Chaucer.

Thou with thy compeers, Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant wheels. --Milton.

To use one's self, to behave. [Obs.] "Pray, forgive me, if I have used myself unmannerly." --Shak.

To use up. (a) To consume or exhaust by using; to leave nothing of; as, to use up the supplies. (b) To exhaust; to tire out; to leave no capacity of force or use in; to overthrow; as, he was used up by fatigue. [Colloq.]

Syn: Employ.

Usage: Use, Employ. We use a thing, or make use of it, when we derive from it some enjoyment or service. We employ it when we turn that service into a particular channel. We use words to express our general meaning; we employ certain technical terms in reference to a given subject. To make use of, implies passivity in the thing; as, to make use of a pen; and hence there is often a material difference between the two words when applied to persons. To speak of "making use of another" generally implies a degrading idea, as if we had used him as a tool; while employ has no such sense. A confidential friend is employed to negotiate; an inferior agent is made use of on an intrigue.

I would, my son, that thou wouldst use the power Which thy discretion gives thee, to control And manage all. --Cowper.

To study nature will thy time employ: Knowledge and innocence are perfect joy. --Dryden.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Use

Use\, v. i. 1. To be wont or accustomed; to be in the habit or practice; as, he used to ride daily; -- now disused in the present tense, perhaps because of the similarity in sound, between "use to," and "used to."

They use to place him that shall be their captain on a stone. --Spenser.

Fears use to be represented in an imaginary. --Bacon.

Thus we use to say, it is the room that smokes, when indeed it is the fire in the room. --South.

Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp. --Ex. xxxiii. 7 (Rev. Ver.)

2. To be accustomed to go; to frequent; to inhabit; to dwell; -- sometimes followed by of. [Obs.] "Where never foot did use." --Spenser.

He useth every day to a merchant's house. --B. Jonson.

Ye valleys low, where the mild whispers use Of shades, and wanton winds, and gushing brooks. --Milton.

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