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Definition abuse

Etymology 1

From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin ab?sus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of ab?tor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ?tor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- +‎ use.

Noun

abuse (countable and uncountable, plural abuses)

1. Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
2. Misuse; improper use; perversion. [First attested in the mid 16 century.]
3. (obsolete) A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception. [Attested from the mid 16 century until the mid 17 century.]
4. (dated outside of Africa) Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies. [First attested in the mid 16 century.]
5. (now rare)   Catachresis. [First attested in the late 16 century.]
6. Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment. [First attested in the late 16 century.]
7. Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis. [First attested in the late 16 century.]

Etymology 2

From Middle English abusen, from Middle French abuser, from Latin ab?sus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of ab?tor (“to use up, misuse, consume”), from ab (“from, away from”) + ?tor (“to use”).

Verb

abuse (third-person singular simple present abuses, present participle abusing, simple past and past participle abused)

1. (transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to misuse; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
2. (transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly. [First attested in the mid 16 century.]
3. (transitive, dated outside of Africa) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage. [First attested in the early 17 century.]
4. (transitive) To imbibe a drug for a purpose other than it was intended; to intentionally take more of a drug than was prescribed for recreational reasons; to take illegal drugs habitually. [First attested in the mid 20 century.]
5. (transitive, archaic) To violate; defile; to rape. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
6. (transitive, obsolete) Misrepresent; adulterate. [Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 18 century.]
7. (transitive, obsolete) To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of. [Attested from the late 15 century until the early 19 century.]
8. (transitive, obsolete, Scotland) Disuse. [Attested from the late 15 century until the mid 16 century.]

Results 406 Words with the letters ABUSE

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