Use

English Meaning

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.

1. To put into service or apply for a purpose; employ.
2. To avail oneself of; practice: use caution.
3. To conduct oneself toward; treat or handle: "the peace offering of a man who once used you unkindly” ( Laurence Sterne).
4. 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.
5. To take or consume; partake of: She rarely used alcohol.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. The condition or fact of being used: a chair in regular use.
9. The manner of using; usage: learned the proper use of power tools.
10. The permission, privilege, or benefit of using something: gave us the use of their summerhouse.
11. The power or ability to use something: lost the use of one arm.
12. The need or occasion to use or employ: have no use for these old clothes.
13. The quality of being suitable or adaptable to an end; usefulness: tried to be of use in the kitchen.
14. A purpose for which something is used: a tool with several uses; a pretty bowl, but of what use is it?
15. Gain or advantage; good: There's no use in discussing it. What's the use?
16. Accustomed or usual procedure or practice.
17. Law Enjoyment of property, as by occupying or exercising it.
18. Law The benefit or profit of lands and tenements of which the legal title and possession are vested in another.
19. Law The arrangement establishing the equitable right to such benefits and profits.
20. A liturgical form practiced in a particular church, ecclesiastical district, or community.
21. Obsolete Usual occurrence or experience.
22. use up To consume completely: used up all our money.