use

nouns

the act of using

"he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers"

employment, exercise, usage, use, utilisation, utilization

what something is used for

"the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"

function, purpose, role, use

a particular service

"he put his knowledge to good use"; "patrons have their uses"

use

is a type of (narrower)

the quality of being of practical use

usefulness, utility

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

"the consumption of energy has increased steadily"

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

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

"owls have nocturnal habits"; "she had a habit twirling the ends of her hair"; "long use had hardened him to it"

habit, use

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

"his manipulation of his friends was scandalous"

manipulation, use

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

"we were given the use of his boat"

enjoyment, use

verbs

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

"use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer"

apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize

is derived from

is derived from

is derived from

is derived from

is derived from

is derived from

is derived from

is derived from

take or consume (regularly or habitually)

"She uses drugs rarely"

habituate, use

is derived from

user

use up, consume fully

"The legislature expended its time on school questions"

expend, use

see also

use up

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

"She uses her influential friends to get jobs"; "The president's wife used her good connections"

use

is derived from

user

is derived from

using

is a type of (narrower)

use or manipulate to one's advantage

"He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy"

exploit, work

avail oneself to

"apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance"

apply, practice, use

is derived from

usance

habitually do something (use only in the past tense)

"She used to call her mother every week but now she calls only occasionally"; "I used to get sick when I ate in that dining hall"; "They used to vacation in the Bahamas"

use

is derived from

usage

is a type of (narrower)

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

"think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel"

act, move