use

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[edit] English

Most common English words: light « felt « since « #250: use » used » began » thy

[edit] Alternative spellings

[edit] Etymology 1

From Middle English use from Old French us, from Latin usus (use, custom, skill, habit), from past partiiple stem of uti (use). Replaced native Middle English note, nutte "use" from Old English notu, nytt.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
use

Plural
uses

use (plural uses)

  1. The act of using.
    The use of torture has been condemned by the United Nations.
    There is no use for your invention.
  2. (uncountable, followed by "of") Usefulness, benefit.
    What's the use of a law that nobody abides to?
  3. A function; a purpose for which something may be employed.
    This tool has many uses.
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[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

[edit] Etymology 2

From Middle English usen from Old French user (use, employ, practice) from Vulgar Latin *usare "use", frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti (to use). Replaced native Middle English noten, nutten "to use" (from Old English notian, nēotan, nyttian) and Middle English brouken, bruken "to use, enjoy" (from Old English brūcan).

[edit] Pronunciation

 Audio (US)help, file
Rhymes: -uːz
Homophones: ewes, yews, yous, youse

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to use

Third person singular
uses

Simple past
used

Past participle
used

Present participle
using

to use (third-person singular simple present uses, present participle using, simple past and past participle used)

  1. (archaic) To accustom; to habituate.
  2. (transitive) To employ; to apply; to utilize.
    Use this knife to slice the bread.
    We can use this mathematical formula to solve the problem.
  3. (transitive, often with “up”) To exhaust the supply of; to consume by employing
    We should use up most of the fuel.
  4. (transitive) To exploit.
  5. (intransitive, obsolete except in past, with "to" infinitive) To be accustomed.
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations

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[edit] Anagrams


[edit] Spanish

[edit] Verb

use (infinitive: usar)

  1. formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of usar.
  2. first-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of usar.
  3. formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of usar.
  4. third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of usar.