Definition of "use"

use

/juːs/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural uses
1. The act of using.
  Quotations
  In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
  2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6
2. (uncountable) The act of consuming alcohol or narcotics.
  Quotations
  Heavy alcohol use (2.5 drinks per day or more) at any age is unhealthy and should be avoided.
  2018, Timothy R. Jennings, The Aging Brain, page 93
3. (uncountable, followed by "of") Usefulness, benefit.
  Quotations
  God made two great lights, great for their use / To man.
  1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,
  'Tis use alone that sanctifies expense.
  1731, Alexander Pope, “Epistle IV: Of the Use of Riches”, in Moral Essays; republished in The Complete Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Boston, New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1902, page 173
4. A function; a purpose for which something may be employed.
  Quotations
  The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives. And, as their ubiquity spreads, so too does the debate around whether we should allow ourselves to become so reliant on them – and who, if anyone, is policing their use.
  2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26
5. Occasion or need to employ; necessity.
6. (obsolete, rare) Interest for lent money; premium paid for the use of something; usury.
  Quotations
  DON PEDRO. Come, lady, come; you have lost the heart of Signior Benedick.BEATRICE. Indeed, my lord, he lent it me awhile; and I gave him use for it, a double heart for a single one: [...]
  1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene i]
  Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use and principal, to him.
  1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […]
7. (archaic) Continued or repeated practice; usage; habit.
  Quotations
  Let later age that noble vse enuie,
  1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 13
  How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, / Seem to me all the uses of this world!
  c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene ii]
  For the next yeere 1527. the negotiations of a Councell were buried in silence; according to the vse of humane affaires, that in the time of warre, prouision for lawes hath no place.
  1629 , Paolo Sarpi, translated by Nathaniel Brent, The Historie of the Councel of Trent […]‎, London: Bonham Norton and John Bill, book 1, paragraph 96, page 43
8. (obsolete) Common occurrence; ordinary experience.
  Quotations
  O Caesar! these things are beyond all use.
  1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene ii]
9. (Christianity) A special form of a rite adopted for use in a particular context, often a diocese.
  Quotations
  From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use.
  1549 March 7, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, The Booke of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacramentes, […], London: […] Edowardi Whitchurche […]
10. (forging) A slab of iron welded to the side of a forging, such as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.
verb
third-person singular simple present uses, present participle using, simple past and past participle used
1. To utilize or employ.
  1. (transitive) To employ; to apply; to utilize.
    Quotations
    Plant breeding is always a numbers game. […] The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better.
    2013 May-June, David Van Tassel, Lee DeHaan, “Wild Plants to the Rescue”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3
  2. (transitive, often with up) To expend; to consume by employing.
  3. (transitive) To exploit.
    Quotations
    Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: the ability to convert water and carbon dioxide into carbohydrates and waste oxygen using solar energy.
    2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist
  4. (transitive) To consume (alcohol, drugs, etc), especially regularly.
  5. (intransitive) To consume a previously specified substance, especially a drug to which one is addicted.
  6. (transitive, with auxiliary "could") To benefit from; to be able to employ or stand.
  7. (transitive, with gender pronouns as object) To suggest or request that other people employ a specific set of gender pronouns when referring to the subject.
2. To accustom; to habituate. (Now common only in participial form. Uses the same pronunciation as the noun; see usage notes.)
  Quotations
  Thou with thy compeers, / Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant wheels.
  1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873,
  1. (reflexive, obsolete, with "to") To accustom oneself.
    Quotations
    It is not without some difficulty, that a man born in society can form an idea of such savages, and their condition; and unless he has used himself to abstract thinking, he can hardly represent to himself such a state of simplicity, in which man can have so few desires, and no appetites roving beyond the immediate call of untaught nature […]
    1714, Bernard Mandeville, The Fable of the Bees‎, London: T. Ostell, published 1806, Sixth Dialogue, p. 466
    So that reading constantly, and thus using yourself to write, and enjoying besides the Benefit of a good Memory, every thing you heard or read, became your own […]
    1742, Samuel Richardson, Pamela, London: S. Richardson, 4th edition, Volume 3, Letter 12, p. 53
    […] we must be constant and faithful to our Words and Promises, and use ourselves to be so even in smaller Matters […]
    1769, John Leland, Discourses on Various Subjects, London: W. Johnston and J. Dodsley, Volume 1, Discourse 16, p. 311
    We are not long in using ourselves to changes in life.
    1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848
    The family troubles, she thought, were easier for every one than for her—even for poor dear mamma, because she had always used herself to not enjoying.
    1876, George Eliot, Daniel Deronda‎, Book 3, Chapter 24
3. (intransitive, archaic or literary except in past tense) To habitually do; to be wont to do. (Now chiefly in past-tense forms; see used to.)
  Quotations
  Peter Pol, doctor in divinitie used to sit upon his mule, who as Monstrelet reporteth, was wont to ride up and downe the streets of Paris, ever sitting sideling, as women use.
  1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 48, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]
  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 1 Peter 4:9
  For in the Rites of funeration they did use to anoint the dead body, with Aromatick Spices and Oyntments, before they buried them.
  1693, Sir Norman Knatchbull, Annotations upon some difficult texts in all the books of the New Testament
  I do not use to let my wife be acquainted with the secret affairs of my state; they are not within a woman's province.
  1764, Horace Walpole, The Castle of Otranto, section II
4. (dated) To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat.
  Quotations
  See who it is: and, now the battle’s ended,If friend or foe, let him be gently used.
  c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene vi]
  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
  1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Luke 6:28
  If in my flower of youth and strength, when all men / Lov’d, honour’d, fear’d me, thou alone could hate me / Thy Husband, slight me, sell me, forgo me; / How wouldst thou use me now, blind, and thereby / Deceivable […]
  1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J. M[acock] for John Starkey […]
  Cato has used me Ill: He has refused / His Daughter Marcia to my ardent Vows.
  1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, Act V, scene i, page 6
  This is an exact Inventory of what we found about the Body of the Man-Mountain, who uſed us with great Civility, and due Reſpect to your Majefty's Commiſſion.
  1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Emperor of Lilliput, Attended by Several of the Nobility, Come to See the Author in His Confinement. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 43
  “I hope,” said Jones, “you don’t intend to leave me in this condition.” “Indeed but I shall,” said the other. “Then,” said Jones, “you have used me rascally, and I will not pay you a farthing.”
  1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], book 3
  "Oh, how dare you, or any one, to speak of her so! She used me as if I had been her dearest child. She was more kind to me than a mother. There is no one in the world like her!" Mary cried.
  1884, Margaret Oliphant, Old Lady Mary
5. (reflexive, obsolete) To behave, act, comport oneself.
  Quotations
  They live together lovingly: For no Magistrate is either haughty or fearefull. Fathers they be called, and like fathers they use themselves.
  1551, Thomas More, Utopia, London: B. Alsop & T. Fawcet, 1639, “Of Bond-men, Sicke persons, Wedlocke, and divers other matters,” page 231
  I pray to God that this may be a sufficient admonition unto thee to use thyself more wisely hereafter, for assure thyself that if thou dost not amend thy prodigality, thou wilt be the last Earl of our house.
  c. 1558, George Cavendish, The Life and Death of Thomas Wolsey, cardinal, edited by Grace H. M. Simpson, London: R. & T. Washbourne, 1901, page 57

Definition of "use"

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