USE

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does use mean? 

• USE (noun)
  The noun USE has 7 senses:

1. the act of using

2. what something is used for

3. a particular service

4. (economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing

5. (psychology) an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition

6. exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage

7. (law) the exercise of the legal right to enjoy the benefits of owning property

  Familiarity information: USE used as a noun is common.

• USE (verb)
  The verb USE has 6 senses:

1. put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

2. take or consume (regularly or habitually)

3. use up, consume fully

4. seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage

5. avail oneself to

6. habitually do something or be in a certan state or place (use only in the past tense)

  Familiarity information: USE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• USE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of using

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

employment; exercise; usage; use; utilisation; utilization

Context example:

skilled in the utilization of computers

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

activity (any specific behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "use"):

recycling (the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products)

application; practical application (the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose)

development; exploitation (the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful)

abuse; misuse (improper or excessive use)

play (utilization or exercise)

practice (the exercise of a profession)

Derivation:

use (put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)

use (take or consume (regularly or habitually))

Sense 2

Meaning:

What something is used for

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

function; purpose; role; use

Context example:

ballet is beautiful but what use is it?

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

usefulness; utility (the quality of being of practical use)

Attribute:

functional (designed for or capable of a particular function or use)

nonfunctional (not having or performing a function)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "use"):

raison d'etre (the purpose that justifies a thing's existence)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A particular service

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

patrons have their uses

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

usefulness; utility (the quality of being of practical use)

Derivation:

use (avail oneself to)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

consumption; economic consumption; usance; use; use of goods and services

Context example:

the consumption of energy has increased steadily

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

demand (the ability and desire to purchase goods and services)

Domain category:

economic science; economics; political economy (the branch of social science that deals with the production and distribution and consumption of goods and services and their management)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "use"):

conspicuous consumption (buying expensive services and products in order to flaunt your wealth)

Derivation:

use (use up, consume fully)

Sense 5

Meaning:

(psychology) an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

habit; use

Context example:

long use had hardened him to it

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

custom; usage; usance (accepted or habitual practice)

Domain category:

psychological science; psychology (the science of mental life)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "use"):

ritual (stereotyped behavior)

second nature (acquired behavior that is practiced so long it seems innate)

cleanliness (the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

manipulation; use

Context example:

his manipulation of his friends was scandalous

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

influence (causing something without any direct or apparent effort)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "use"):

mind game (deliberate actions of calculated psychological manipulation intended to intimidate or confuse (usually for competitive advantage))

Derivation:

use (seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(law) the exercise of the legal right to enjoy the benefits of owning property

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

enjoyment; use

Context example:

we were given the use of his boat

Hypernyms ("use" is a kind of...):

legal right (a right based in law)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "use"):

fair use (the conditions under which you can use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties)

fruition (enjoyment derived from use or possession)

• USE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize

Context example:

He doesn't know how to use a computer

Cause:

apply; go for; hold (be pertinent or relevant or applicable)

Verb group:

apply; practice; use (avail oneself to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "use"):

assign; put (attribute or give)

fall back; recur; resort (have recourse to)

implement (apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design)

put to work; work (cause to work)

share (use jointly or in common)

take (travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route)

enjoy (have benefit from)

exercise; exert (put to use)

extend; strain (use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity)

exploit; tap (draw from; make good use of)

exploit; work (use or manipulate to one's advantage)

recycle; reprocess; reuse (use again after processing)

cannibalise; cannibalize (use parts of something to repair something else)

overdrive; overuse (make use of too often or too extensively)

avail (use to one's advantage)

misapply; misuse (apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly)

waste (use inefficiently or inappropriately)

address (address or apply oneself to something, direct one's efforts towards something, such as a question)

ply (use diligently)

pull out all the stops (use all resources available)

play (use or move)

play (employ in a game or in a specific position)

commit; consecrate; dedicate; devote; give (give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They use the animals

Derivation:

useable (convenient for use or disposal)

user (a person who makes use of a thing; someone who uses or employs something)

useable (capable of being put to use)

useable (fit or ready for use or service)

use; usage (the act of using)

usable (capable of being put to use)

usable (fit or ready for use or service)

usable (convenient for use or disposal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take or consume (regularly or habitually)

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

habituate; use

Context example:

She uses drugs rarely

Hypernyms (to "use" is one way to...):

consume; have; ingest; take; take in (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "use"):

smoke (inhale and exhale smoke from cigarettes, cigars, pipes)

do drugs; drug (use recreational drugs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

use (the act of using)

user (a person who takes drugs)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Use up, consume fully

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

expend; use

Context example:

The legislature expended its time on school questions

"Use" entails doing...:

consume; deplete; eat; eat up; exhaust; run through; use up; wipe out (use up (resources or materials))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "use"):

abuse (use wrongly or improperly or excessively)

blow; squander; waste (spend thoughtlessly; throw away)

occupy; take; use up (require (time or space))

spare (use frugally or carefully)

abuse; misuse; pervert (change the inherent purpose or function of something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They use the money

Also:

use up (use up (resources or materials))

Derivation:

use ((economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

The president's wife used her good connections

Hypernyms (to "use" is one way to...):

exploit; work (use or manipulate to one's advantage)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "use"):

take advantage; trespass (make excessive use of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They use him to write the letter

Derivation:

use (exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage)

user (a person who uses something or someone selfishly or unethically)

using (an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Avail oneself to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

apply; practice; use

Context example:

practice non-violent resistance

Verb group:

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "use"):

follow (adhere to or practice)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

usance (accepted or habitual practice)

use (a particular service)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Habitually do something or be in a certan state or place (use only in the past tense)

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

she used to be his best friend and now they are enemies

Hypernyms (to "use" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

usage (accepted or habitual practice)

 Context examples 

I cannot tell you how to use them, however; you must find that out for yourself.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

However, that I should be used with all kindness.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

This term may also refer to a legal drug used for the same purpose.

(Medicine, NCI Dictionary)

Gradually, I became used to seeing the gentleman with the black whiskers.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A hormonal anticancer drug that is also used in cancer prevention.

(Medroxyprogesterone, NCI Dictionary)

They used to send father tickets when he was alive, and then afterwards they remembered us, and sent them to mother.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Well he knew why their hands were rough; but this hand of hers . . . It was soft because she had never used it to work with.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

One or more sponsor-defined characters used to identify, name, or characterize the medical history items.

(Medical History Sponsor Defined Identifier, NCI Thesaurus)

He, on the other hand, learned that it was not necessary to use his teeth upon them.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Had she been using any thing in particular?

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)