abuse²

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to treat a person or animal in a cruel or violent way

   He was arrested for abusing his employees.

2. 2
   verb

   to use something wrongly or too much

   You have abused my generosity once too often.

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

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External links

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