use, us

[Fr. ususe, usage, from Lat. usum, acc us. of us us use, from us us, pa. par. of utor = to use.] I. Ordinary Language : 1. The act of using or employing anything for any purpose; the state of being used or employed; employment in or conversion to a purpose, especially to a profitable purpose; application. "I know not what use to put her to." Shakesp.: Comedy of Errors , iii. 2. 2. The quality which makes a thing useful or convenience, advantage, profit. IMG:content-0345.png:[blocks in formation] *(8) Use and wont: Common or customary practice ( Tennyson: In Memoriam, xxix. 11.) *(9) In use: (a) In employment; being employed; as, The book is in use. (b) In customary practice, observance, or employment; as, Such rites are still in use. (10) To have no use for : Not to need; not to be able to make profitable or advantageous use of. (11) To make use of : To employ profitably or to a good purpose. "Make use of time."-Shakesp.: Venus and Adonis , 129. ūşe, v. t . & i. [Fr. user , from Low Lat. uso , from Lat. us us use (q. v.).] A. Transitive : 1. To employ or make use of. (1) To employ with the hands; to handle, hold, or move for some purpose; to avail one's self of; to act with or by means of. "They could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones."-1 Chron . xii. 2. To expend, consume, utilize, or exhaust by "Sunder land was able; he was useful; he was unprin cipled indeed."-Macaulay: Hist. Eng., ch. xxii. use'-fül-ly, adv. [Eng. useful; -ly.] In a useful manner; profitably, beneficially, advantageously. "Without it (industry) we cannot in any state act decently or usefully." -Barrow: Sermons, vol. iii., ser. 19. üse-fül-ne , subst . [Eng. useful ; -ne .] The quality or state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial; conducivene to any end or purpose. "The magnificence of Rome, under the emperors, was rather for ostentation than any real usefulne ."- Add is on . ūse-le , a . [Eng. use; -le .] Having no use; not useful, profitable, or advantageous; serving no useful end or purpose; answering no valuable purpose; not advancing the end proposed. "Usele are all words, Till you have writ performance with your swords." Beaum. & Flet.: Love's Cure, i. 1. ūse-le -lý, adv. [Eng. usele ; -ly.] In a usele manner; without profit or advantage; to no purpose; unprofitably. "To be so idle and usele ly employed." -Locke: On Human Understanding , bk. ii., ch. i. üse-le -ne , subst. [Eng. usele ; -ne .] The quality or state of being usele ; inutility, unserviceable ne . . "The concluding book is accused of obscurity, and consequently of usele ne ."- Secker : Sermons, vol. vi., ser. 31.