Use — Defs

01 n. The act of employing anything, or of applying it to one's service; the state of being so employed or applied; application; employment; conv…

1.
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.
“Books can never teach the use of books.” — Bacon.

“This Davy serves you for good uses.” — Shak.

“When he framed All things to man's delightful use.” — Milton.
2.
Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no further use for a book.
3.
Yielding of service; advantage derived; capability of being used; usefulness; utility.
“God made two great lights, great for their use To man.” — Milton.

“'T is use alone that sanctifies expense.” — Pope.
4.
Continued or repeated practice; customary employment; usage; custom; manner; habit.
“Let later age that noble use envy.” — Spenser.

“How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world!” — Shak.
5.
Common occurrence; ordinary experience.[R.]
“O Caesar! these things are beyond all use.” — Shak.
6.
The special form of ritual adopted for use in any diocese; as, the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford use; the York use; the Roman use; etc.(Eccl.)
“From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use.” — Pref. to Book of Common Prayer.
7.
The premium paid for the possession and employment of borrowed money; interest; usury.[Obs.]
“Thou art more obliged to pay duty and tribute, use and principal, to him.” — Jer. Taylor.
8.
The benefit or profit of lands and tenements. Use imports a trust and confidence reposed in a man for the holding of lands. He to whose use or benefit the trust is intended shall enjoy the profits. An estate is granted and limited to A for the use of B.(Law)
9.
A stab of iron welded to the side of a forging, as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.(Forging)

Phrases & compounds

Contingent use — a use to come into operation on a future uncertain event.

In use — In employment; in customary practice observance.

Of no use — useless; of no advantage.

Of use — useful; of advantage; profitable.

Out of use — not in employment.

Resulting use — a use, which, being limited by the deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to him who raised it, after such expiration.

Secondary use — a use which, though executed, may change from one to another by circumstances.

Statute of uses — the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap. 10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites the use and possession.

To make use of — to employ; to derive service from; to use.

02 v. t. To make use of; to convert to one's service; to avail one's self of; to employ; to put a purpose; as, to use a plow; to use a chair; to use…

imp. & p. p. Used; p. pr. & vb. n. Using

1.
To make use of; to convert to one's service; to avail one's self of; to employ; to put a purpose; as, to use a plow; to use a chair; to use time; to use flour for food; to use water for irrigation.
“Launcelot Gobbo, use your legs.” — Shak.

“Some other means I have which may be used.” — Milton.
2.
To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat; as, to use a beast cruelly.
“How wouldst thou use me now?” — Milton.

“Cato has used me ill.” — Addison.
3.
To practice customarily; to make a practice of; as, to use diligence in business.
“Use hospitality one to another.” — 1 Pet. iv. 9.
4.
To accustom; to habituate; to render familiar by practice; to inure; -- employed chiefly in the passive participle; as, men used to cold and hunger; soldiers used to hardships and danger.
“I am so used in the fire to blow.” — Chaucer.

“Thou with thy compeers, Used to the yoke, draw'st his triumphant wheels.” — Milton.

“I would, my son, that thou wouldst use the power Which thy discretion gives thee, to control And manage all.” — Cowper.

“To study nature will thy time employ: Knowledge and innocence are perfect joy.” — Dryden.

Phrases & compounds

To use one's self — to behave.

To use up — To consume or exhaust by using; to leave nothing of; as, to use up the supplies.

Syn. Employ.

-- Use, Employ. We use a thing, or make use of it, when we derive from it some enjoyment or service. We employ it when we turn that service into a particular channel. We use words to express our general meaning; we employ certain technical terms in reference to a given subject. To make use of, implies passivity in the thing; as, to make use of a pen; and hence there is often a material difference between the two words when applied to persons. To speak of “making use of another” generally implies a degrading idea, as if we had used him as a tool; while employ has no such sense. A confidential friend is employed to negotiate; an inferior agent is made use of on an intrigue.

03 v. i. To be wont or accustomed; to be in the habit or practice; as, he used to ride daily; -- now disused in the present tense, perhaps because o…

1.
To be wont or accustomed; to be in the habit or practice; as, he used to ride daily; -- now disused in the present tense, perhaps because of the similarity in sound, between “use to,” and “used to.”
“They use to place him that shall be their captain on a stone.” — Spenser.

“Fears use to be represented in an imaginary.” — Bacon.

“Thus we use to say, it is the room that smokes, when indeed it is the fire in the room.” — South.

“Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp.” — Ex. xxxiii. 7 (Rev. Ver.)
2.
To be accustomed to go; to frequent; to inhabit; to dwell; -- sometimes followed by of.[Obs.]
“He useth every day to a merchant's house.” — B. Jonson.

“Ye valleys low, where the mild whispers use Of shades, and wanton winds, and gushing brooks.” — Milton.