n. a particular service; "he put his knowledge to good use"; "patrons have their uses"

n. exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage; "his manipulation of his friends was scandalous"

n. a pattern of behavior acquired through frequent repetition; "she had a habit twirling the ends of her hair"; "long use had hardened him to it"

n. what something is used for; "the function of an auger is to bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"

n. (economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing; "the consumption of energy has increased steadily"

n. the act of using; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers"

v. use up, consume fully; "The legislature expended its time on school questions"

v. 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"

v. take or consume (regularly or habitually); "She uses drugs rarely"

v. handle effectively; "The burglar wielded an axe"

v. put into service; make work or employ (something) 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"

n. a means of serving; "of no avail"; "there's no help for it"

n. an outstanding characteristic; "his acting was one of the high points of the movie"

n. (law) an explanation of the fundamental reasons (especially an explanation of the working of some device in terms of laws of nature); "the rationale for capital punishment"; "the principles of internal-combustion engines"

n. a duty that you are assigned to perform (especially in the armed forces); "hazardous duty"

n. preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home)

n. a task assigned for individual study; "he did the lesson for today"

n. the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment; "she bought it for everyday wear"

v. spend frivolously and unwisely; "Fritter away one's inheritance"

v. deplete of resources; "The exercise class drains me of energy"

v. make a victim of; "I was victimized by this con-man"

v. take or catch as if in a snare or trap; "I was set up!"; "The innocent man was framed by the police"

v. deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change"

v. put into service; make work or employ (something) 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"

v. keep engaged; "engaged the gears"

v. register formally as a participant or member; "The party recruited many new members"

v. work excessively hard; "he is exploiting the students"

v. take advantage of or capitalize on

v. make the most of; "He maximized his role"

v. put into commission; equip for service; of ships

v. enter into a contractual arrangement

v. hire for work or assistance; "engage aid, help, services, or support"

v. hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services

v. assign to a station

v. put into a certain place or abstract location; "Put your things here"; "Set the tray down"; "Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children"; "Place emphasis on a certain point"

v. use cautiously and frugally; "I try to economize my spare time"; "conserve your energy for the ascent to the summit"