use up


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia.

use

 (yo͞oz)
v. used, us·ing, us·es
v.tr.
1. To put into service or employ for a purpose: I used a whisk to beat the eggs. The song uses only three chords.
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.
a. To take or consume for a purpose: She used her savings to buy a computer.
b. To partake of, especially as a habit: She rarely uses alcohol.
v.intr.
1. (yo͞os, yo͞ost) 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.
2. Slang To take an illegal or narcotic drug, especially as a habit.
n. (yo͞os)
1.
a. The act of using something; the application or employment of something for a purpose: with the use of a calculator; skilled in the use of the bow and arrow.
b. The condition or fact of being used: a chair in regular use.
2. The manner of using; usage: learned the proper use of power tools.
3.
a. The permission, privilege, or benefit of using something: gave us the use of their summerhouse.
b. The power or ability to use something: lost the use of one arm.
4. The need or occasion to use or employ something: I have no use for these old clothes.
5. The quality of being suitable or adaptable to an end; usefulness: I tried to be of use in the kitchen.
6. A purpose for which something is used: a tool with several uses; a pretty bowl, but of what use is it?
7. Gain or advantage; good: There's no use in discussing it. What's the use?
8.
a. Accustomed or usual procedure or practice: "We are but creatures of use and custom" (Mark Twain).
b. A particular custom or practice: uses introduced by recent immigrants.
9. Law
a. Enjoyment of property, as by occupying or employing it.
b. The benefit or profit of lands and tenements of which the legal title is vested in another.
c. The arrangement establishing the equitable right to such benefits and profits.
10. A liturgical form practiced in a particular church, ecclesiastical district, or community.
Phrasal Verb:
use up
To consume completely: used up all our money.
Idiom:
make use of
To use for a purpose.

[Middle English usen, from Old French user, from Vulgar Latin *ūsāre, frequentative of Latin ūtī. N., Middle English, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus, from past participle of ūtī.]
Usage Note: The verb use is used in the past tense with an infinitive to indicate a past condition or habitual practice: We used to live in that house. Because the -d in used has merged with the t of to and is not pronounced in these constructions, people sometimes mistakenly leave it out when writing. Thus it is incorrect to write We use to play tennis. When do occurs with this form of use in negative statements and in questions, the situation is reversed, and use to (not used to) is correct: You did not use to play on that team. Didn't she use to work for your company?
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

use up

vb (tr, adverb)
1. to finish (a supply); consume completely
2. to exhaust; wear out
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.use up - use up (resources or materials); "this car consumes a lot of gas"; "We exhausted our savings"; "They run through 20 bottles of wine a week"
run out - exhaust the supply of; "We ran out of time just as the discussion was getting interesting"
drain - deplete of resources; "The exercise class drains me of energy"
luxuriate, indulge - enjoy to excess; "She indulges in ice cream"
burn off, burn up, burn - use up (energy); "burn off calories through vigorous exercise"
expend, spend, drop - pay out; "spend money"
spend - spend completely; "I spend my pocket money in two days"
take, use up, occupy - require (time or space); "It took three hours to get to work this morning"; "This event occupied a very short time"
play out, sap, tire, exhaust, run down - deplete; "exhaust one's savings"; "We quickly played out our strength"
2.use up - require (time or space); "It took three hours to get to work this morning"; "This event occupied a very short time"
deplete, use up, wipe out, eat up, exhaust, run through, eat, consume - use up (resources or materials); "this car consumes a lot of gas"; "We exhausted our savings"; "They run through 20 bottles of wine a week"
expend, use - use up, consume fully; "The legislature expended its time on school questions"
be - spend or use time; "I may be an hour"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

use

verb
2. To control or direct the functioning of:
3. To take advantage of unfairly:
phrasal verb
use up
2. To lessen or weaken severely, as by removing something essential:
noun
2. The condition of being put to use:
3. A quantity consumed:
4. The quality of being suitable or adaptable to an end:
5. A habitual way of behaving:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
spotřebovat
bruge op
käyttää loppuun
potrošiti
使い果たす
다 써버리다
göra slut på
ใช้จนหมด
dùng hết

w>use up

vt sep food, objects, one’s strengthverbrauchen; (= finish also)aufbrauchen; scraps, leftovers etcverwerten; the butter is all used updie Butter ist alle (inf)or aufgebraucht; all his energy was used upall seine Energie war verbraucht
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

use up

يَسْتَهْلِكُ spotřebovat bruge op aufbrauchen εξαντλώ consumir, gastar käyttää loppuun finir potrošiti consumare 使い果たす 다 써버리다 opgebruiken bruke opp zużyć esgotar, gastar израсходовать göra slut på ใช้จนหมด bitirmek dùng hết 用完
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
References in classic literature ?
'I only make pincushions and pen-wipers, to use up my waste.
Proper discharge can it help cell activation for long term mains had better cut off mains each three months use UPS on load discharge once time which can extend the service life of the battery.