use in WordNet English dictionary

1. 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"
   use  utilize  utilise  apply  employ 
   
2. avail oneself to
   "apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance"
   practice  apply  use 
   
3. use up, consume fully
   "The legislature expended its time on school questions"
   use  expend 
   
4. take or consume (regularly or habitually)
   "She uses drugs rarely"
   use  habituate 
   
5. 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 
   
6. 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 
   

1. (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 
   
2. the act of using
   "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers"
   use  usage  utilization  utilisation  employment  exercise 
   
3. (law) the exercise of the legal right to enjoy the benefits of owning property
   "we were given the use of his boat"
   use  enjoyment 
   
4. 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 
   
5. (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 
   
6. exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage
   "his manipulation of his friends was scandalous"
   manipulation  use 
   
7. a particular service
   "he put his knowledge to good use"; "patrons have their uses"
   use