9 results for: consume

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

con·sume

Audio Help [kuh

n-soom] Pronunciation Key verb, -sumed, -sum·ing.

–verb (used with object)

1.	to destroy or expend by use; use up.

2.	to eat or drink up; devour.

3.	to destroy, as by decomposition or burning: Fire consumed the forest.

4.	to spend (money, time, etc.) wastefully.

5.	to absorb; engross: consumed with curiosity.

–verb (used without object)

6.	to undergo destruction; waste away.

7.	to use or use up consumer goods.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME (< MF consumer) < L consūmere, equiv. to con- con- + sūmere to take up (perh. < *suzm- < *subzm- < *subs-(e)m-, equiv. to subs-, var. of sub- sub- + emere to take, buy)

]

—Synonyms 1. exhaust, deplete. 4. squander, dissipate.

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

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
consume

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

con·sume Audio Help   (kən-sōōm') Pronunciation Key
v.   con·sumed, con·sum·ing, con·sumes

v.   tr.

To take in as food; eat or drink up. See Synonyms at eat.
1. To expend; use up: engines that consume less fuel; a project that consumed most of my time and energy.
2. To purchase (goods or services) for direct use or ownership.
To waste; squander. See Synonyms at waste.
To destroy totally; ravage: flames that consumed the house; a body consumed by cancer.
To absorb; engross: consumed with jealousy. See Synonyms at monopolize.

v. intr.

To be destroyed, expended, or wasted.
To purchase economic goods and services: a society that consumes as fast as it produces.

[Middle English consumen, from Latin cōnsūmere : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + sūmere, to take; see em- in Indo-European roots.]

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
consume

c.1380, from L. consumere "to use up, eat, waste," from com- intensive prefix + sumere "to take," from sub- "under" + emere "to buy, take" (see exempt). Economic sense of consumer (opposite of producer) first recorded 1746. Consumerism is from 1944 in the sense of "protection of the consumer's interest;" modern sense of "consumption as an economic policy" is from 1960.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

consume
verb
1.	eat immoderately; "Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal" [syn: devour]
2.	serve oneself to, or consume regularly; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee" [ant: abstain]
3.	spend extravagantly; "waste not, want not"
4.	destroy completely; "The fire consumed the building"
5.	use up (resources or materials); "this car consumes a lot of gas"; "We exhausted our savings"; "They run through 20 bottles of wine a week"
6.	engage fully; "The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
consume1 [kənˈsjuːm] verb

to eat or drink
Example: He consumes a huge amount of food.

Arabic:	يَسْتَهْلِك
Chinese (Simplified):	消费
Chinese (Traditional):	消費
Czech:	konzumovat, sníst
Danish:	fortære; konsumere
Dutch:	verorberen
Estonian:	tarbima
Finnish:	nauttia, kuluttaa
French:	consommer
German:	verzehren
Greek:	καταναλώνω
Hungarian:	(el)fogyaszt
Icelandic:	neyta, borða, drekka
Indonesian:	memakan
Italian:	consumare

Japanese:	飲食する
Korean:	먹다, 마시다
Latvian:	apēst; notiesāt
Lithuanian:	suvalgyti, išgerti
Norwegian:	fortære, spise, drikke
Polish:	konsumować
Portuguese (Brazil):	consumir
Portuguese (Portugal):	consumir
Romanian:	a mânca; a bea
Russian:	поглощать
Slovak:	spotrebovať
Slovenian:	zaužiti
Spanish:	consumir
Swedish:	förtära, konsumera
Turkish:	yemek, içmek

consume2 [kənˈsjuːm] verb

to use
Example: How much electricity do you consume per month?

Arabic:	يَسْتَعْمِل
Chinese (Simplified):	消耗
Chinese (Traditional):	消耗
Czech:	spotřebovat
Danish:	forbruge
Dutch:	verbruiken
Estonian:	tarbima
Finnish:	kuluttaa
French:	consommer
German:	verbrauchen
Greek:	καταναλώνω, χρησιμοποιώ
Hungarian:	felhasznál
Icelandic:	nota, eyða
Indonesian:	menggunakan
Italian:	consumare

Japanese:	消費する
Korean:	써버리다
Latvian:	patērēt; izlietot
Lithuanian:	sunaudoti, suvartoti
Norwegian:	(for)bruke
Polish:	zużywać
Portuguese (Brazil):	consumir
Portuguese (Portugal):	consumir
Romanian:	a consuma
Russian:	потреблять
Slovak:	spotrebovať
Slovenian:	porabiti
Spanish:	consumir
Swedish:	förbruka, konsumera
Turkish:	kullanmak

consume3 [kənˈsjuːm] verb

to destroy, eg by fire
Example: The entire building was consumed by fire.

Arabic:	تَلْتَهِمَه النّار، يَتْلَف
Chinese (Simplified):	毁灭
Chinese (Traditional):	毀滅
Czech:	zničit
Danish:	fortære
Dutch:	verwoesten
Estonian:	hävitama
Finnish:	tuhota
French:	consumer
German:	zerstören
Greek:	καταστρέφω
Hungarian:	elpusztít
Icelandic:	(gjör)eyða(st) í eldi
Indonesian:	membinasakan
Italian:	consumare

Japanese:	消滅させる
Korean:	소멸시키다
Latvian:	iznīcināt (par uguni)
Lithuanian:	sunaikinti, sudeginti
Norwegian:	fortære(s), tilintetgjøre(s)
Polish:	trawić, pochłaniać
Portuguese (Brazil):	consumir
Portuguese (Portugal):	consumir
Romanian:	a mistui
Russian:	уничтожать
Slovak:	zničiť
Slovenian:	uničiti
Spanish:	consumir, reducir a cenizas
Swedish:	förtära, förstöra
Turkish:	yıkıp yok etmek

See also: consumer, consumer goods, consumption

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

Consume

Con*sume"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Consumed; p. pr. & vb. n. Consuming.] [L. consumere to take wholly or complectely, to consume; con- + sumere to take; sub + emere to buv. See Redeem.] To destroy, as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire; to use up; to expend; to waste; to burn up; to eat up; to devour.

If he were putting to my house the brand That shall consume it. --Shak.

Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume. --Matt. vi. 20 (Rev. Ver. ).

Let me alone . . . that I may consume them. --Ex. xxxii. 10.

Syn: To destroy; swallow up; ingulf; absorb; waste; exhaust; spend; expend; squander; lavish; dissipate.

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