USE, n. [L. urus.]

1. The act of handling or employing in any manner, and for any purpose, but especially for a profitable purpose; as, the use of a pen in writing; the use of books in study; the use of a spade in digging. Use is of two kinds; that which employs a thing without destroying it or its form, as the use of a book or of a farm; or it is the employment of a thing which destroys or wastes it, as the use of bread for provision; the use of water for turning a mill.
2. Employment; application of any thing to a purpose, good or bad. It is our duty to make a faithful use of our opportunities and advantages for improvement. Books can never teach the use of books. Bacon.
3. Usefulness; utility; advantage; production of benefit. The value of a thing is to be estimated by its use. His friendship has been of use to me. 'Tis use alone that sanctifies expense. Pope.
4. Need of employment, or occasion to employ. I have no further use for this book.
5. Power of receiving advantage. [Unusual.] Dryden.
6. Continued practice or employment. Sweetness, truth, and every grace, Which time and use are wont to teach. Waller.
7. Custom; common occurrence. O Cesar, these things are beyond all use. [Unusual.] Shak.
8. Interest; the premium paid for the possession and employment of borrowed money. South.
9. In law, 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. Statute of Uses, in England, the Stat. 27 Henry VIII. cap. 10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites the use and possession. Cestuy que use, in law, the person who has the use of lands and tenements. Contingent use, in law. A contingent or springing use, is where the use is suspended on a future event. Resulting use, is one which, being limited by the deed, expires or can not vest, and results or returns to him who raised it, after such expiration. Secondary or shifting use, is that which though executed, may change from one to another by circumstances. Blackstone. In use, in employment; as, the book is now in use. #2. In customary practice or observance. Such words, rites and ceremonies, have long been in use.

1. To be accustomed; to practice customarily. They use to place him that shall be their captain on a stone. Spenser.
2. To be wont. Fears used to be represented in an imaginary fashion. Bacon.
3. To frequent; to inhabit. Where never foot did use. Spenser.

1. To employ; to handle, hold, occupy or move for some purpose; as, to use a plow; to use a chair; to use a book; to use time. Most men use the right hand with more convenience than the left, and hence its name, right.
2. To waste, consume or exhaust by employment; as, to use flour for food; to use beer for drink; to use water for irrigation, or for turning the wheel of a mill.
3. To accustom; to habituate; to render familiar by practice; as, men used to cold and hunger; soldiers used to hardships and danger. Addison. Swift.
4. To treat; as, to use one well or ill; to use people with kindness and civility; to use a beast with cruelty. Cato has us'd me ill. Addison.
5. To practice customarily. Use hospitality one to another. 1 Pet. iv. To use one's self, to behave. [Obs.] Shak.

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. 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.

3. 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.)

4. Occasion or need to employ; necessity; as, to have no further use for a book.
   
   
   Shak.
5. To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat; as, to use a beast cruelly.
   
   
   "I will use him well." Shak.

   How wouldst thou use me now? Milton.

   Cato has used me ill. Addison.

6. To be accustomed to go; to frequent; to inhabit; to dwell; -- sometimes followed by of.
   
   
   [Obs.] "Where never foot did use." Spenser.

   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.

7. 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.

8. To practice customarily; to make a practice of; as, to use diligence in business.
   
   

   Use hospitality one to another. 1 Pet. iv. 9.

9. 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.

10. 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.

    To use one's self, to behave. [Obs.] "Pray, forgive me, if I have used myself unmannerly." Shak. -- To use up. (a) To consume or exhaust by using; to leave nothing of; as, to use up the supplies. (b) To exhaust; to tire out; to leave no capacity of force or use in; to overthrow; as, he was used up by fatigue. [Colloq.]

    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.

    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.

11. Common occurrence; ordinary experience.
    
    
    [R.]

    O Cæsar! these things are beyond all use. Shak.

12. 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.
    
    

    From henceforth all the whole realm shall have but one use. Pref. to Book of Common Prayer.

13. 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.

14. 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.
15. 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.
    
    

    Contingent, or Springing, use (Law), a use to come into operation on a future uncertain event. -- In use. (a) In employment; in customary practice observance. (b) In heat; -- said especially of mares. J. H. Walsh. -- Of no use, useless; of no advantage. -- Of use, useful; of advantage; profitable. -- Out of use, not in employment. -- Resulting use (Law), 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, or Shifting, use, a use which, though executed, may change from one to another by circumstances. Blackstone. -- Statute of uses (Eng. Law), the stat. 27 Henry VIII., cap. 10, which transfers uses into possession, or which unites the use and possession. -- To make use of, To put to use, to employ; to derive service from; to use.