Use

USE, sb. Var. dial. uses in Sc. and Eng. Also in forms ewse n.Lin.1; uze w.Som.1 n.Dev. [jūs, ius, w.Cy. jǖz.] 1. In phr. (1) to be in use, of a cow, mare, &c.: to be ‘maris appetens’; (2) to be in use to, to be accustomed to; to be wont to; (3) to be no use to tell, to be needless to say; to go without saying; (4) to come into use, see (1); (5) to make use of, to eat; (6) to no use, useless, worthless, of no use. (1) n.Lin.1, sw.Lin.1 (2) Lnk. Leper was in use to give his lads their Sunday's supper, Graham Writings (1883) II. 122; Glasgow Herald (Apr. 3, 1894). Edb. Lang had the thristles an' the dockans been In use to wag their taps upo' the green, Fergusson Poems (1773) 112, ed. 1785. (3) Dev. Way if I wis thare vathers, et es no use ta tul, Bevaur I wid zee et, I'd drash em aul wul, N. Hogg Poet. Lett. (ed. 1865) 26. (4) sw.Lin.1 (5) Som. Won't you make use of this cake. There's more than you will make use of (W.F.R.). s.Dev. I have made use of nothing since eight o'clock, N. & Q. (1869) 4th S. iv. 47. (6) n.Yks.1 Gin a man can nowther wark nor show off, he's to nae use; n.Yks.4 ne.Yks.1 It's ti neea use; ah can't finnd it. w.Yks. It's all to no use tellin' him to du owght, for he'll just du his awn way, Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Sept. 16, 1899). Oxf. I've searched for it everywhere, but it's all to no use (G.O.). 2. Power of action or movement. Sc. (A.W.), w.Yks. (J.W.) Nhp.1 ‘To have her use again,’ to recover the use of her limbs. n.Lin.1 I've niver hed noä ewse e' theäse fingers sin I got 'em laamed e' th' cuttin' machine. Hnt. (T.P.F.) 3. Custom, habit. w.Som.1 'Twas the poor old mother's uze zo long's I can mind. n.Dev. 'Twos olways thy uze, Exm. Scold. (1746) l. 229. 4. Interest on money; esp. in phr. out at use. Rxb. (Jam.) Dur.1 Out at use. w.Yks.2, ne.Lan.1, s.Lan.1 nw.Der.1 Ee's some money out et th' use. Lin.1 Overend Gurney & Co. promised good use. sw.Lin.1 She has the use of it for her life. Nhp.1, Hnt. (T.P.F.) Som. (J.S.F.S.); To put your money... away in yur own neame... till times be a bit better, and then we'll vind a way to put ut to use, Raymond Misterton's Mistake (1888) 138. Hence (1) Use-brass, sb. interest on money; (2) Use-in-drum, sb. interest on a small sum lent out; (3) Use-money, sb., see (1). (1) Cum.1 Cum.4, n.Yks.2 (2) Lakel.2 Ah've three hauf croons put oot ta use, An' sixteenpence beside; An' Ah just draw the use-in-drum, An' let the heeal stock bide, Old Sng. (3) Dur.1, Cum.1 Cum.4, n.Yks.1, n.Lin.1 Dor. 'Twas only last Purification Day,.. when the use-money is given away to the second-best poor folk, you know, Hardy Madding Crowd (1874) viii. Som. Wi' all the use-money since the day you took it in han', Raymond No Soul

(1899) 192.

USE, v. Var. dial. forms and uses in Sc. Eng. Amer. and Aus. [jūz, iuz, w.Cy. jǖz.] I. Gram. forms.

1. Preterite: (1) Eest, (2) Hewst, (3) Use, (4) Usen, (5) Usened, (6) Uset, (7) Usit, (8) Ust, (9) Usted, (10) Youst, (11) Yust. (1) Abd. Oor 'Liza an' you ees't to be heid-y-peers, Alexander Johnny Gibb (1871) vii. Kcd. The howdie eest to brag, Grant Lays (1884) 11. (2) n.Lin.1 (3) Cum. Theer nowt at ivver yan can see 'At's hofe like what it use' to be, Richardson Talk (1876) 1st S. 31, ed. 1886. n.Yks.4, e.Yks.1 w.Yks. He use to could raceme, Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Sept. 16, 1899). Lan. Owen Good Owd Toimes (1870) 12. s.Not. (J.P.K.), War.2, m.Wor. (J.C.), Oxf. (G.O.), Ess.1 Ken. My man useter say, Longman's Mag. (July 1891)
2. Hmp. (H.C.M.B.) Dev. 'Er as I useter nuss, Cornh. Mag. (Mar. 1895) 268. [Amer. I use to go there often, referring to past time, Dial. Notes (1896) I. 237. Aus. He useter have hisself rubbed all over wiff rosum, Longman's Mag. (Aug. 1901) 295.] (4) Sur. He dunno go as 'ee usen, Bickley Sur. Hills (1890) II. i. [Amer. Mammy usen to call me ‘Miah,’ Scribner's Mag. (June 1890) 721.] (5) Midl. I can't think as it usened to smell so, Geo. Eliot S. Marner (1861) 268. (6) n.Yks. Thou uset te sing te me, Tweddell Clevel. Rhymes (1875) 30. Lan. That uset to be at th' left hond side, Waugh Heather (ed. Milner) II. 88. s.Lan.1 (7) Hdg. Ritchie St. Baldred (1883) 64. (8) n.Yks. His mudher ust te tawk tiv him, Tweddell Clevel. Rhymes (1875) 16. Lan. Nubry seems to see 'em neaw-a-days as they ust, Bowker Tales (1882)
3. ne.Lan.1, Ess.1 (9) Brks. Ther' usted to be two on 'um, Hayden Round our Vill. (1901) 50. (10) n.Yks. Ah youst te knaw Awd Gab varry weel, Tweddell Clevel. Rhymes (1875) 11; n.Yks.4 (11) Cum. Lang wully wands for hoops I yust te bay, Gilpin Pop. Poetry (1875) 14.
4. Pp.: (1) Eesed, (2) Eest, (3) Ösd, (4) Use, (5) Usen, (6) Usend. (1) Inv. Hogg Tales (1838) 262, ed. 1866. (2) Abd. Alexander Johnny Gibb (1871) viii. (3) Sh.I. We're a' ower weel ösd wi' gutter, Sh. News (Jan. 5, 1901). (4) Not.1, Lei.1, War.3 (5) e.Dev. I be not usen to it yet, Jane Ever Mohun (1901) 167. [Amer. Lots o' decent going folks hev got usen to the idee, Fox Vendetta (1900) 28.] (6) Lan. Byrom Misc. Poems (1814) I. 119. II. Dial. uses. 1. In phr. (1) didn't use, used not; (2) to be used, followed by an infin.: to be wont, to be accustomed to do anything; (3) to be used of, (4) to be used with, to be accustomed to anything; (5) to have use, see (2); (6) to use diligence, obs., to prosecute by law; (7) to use women, to commit fornication or adultery; (8) use(d to could, or use(d at could, used to be able to, could once; (9) use(d to was, used to be; (10) use(d to would, would. (1) Sc. (A.W.), w.Yks. (J.W.) sw.Lin.1 It didn't use to mak' me at this how. [Amer. That tree didn't useter stand in the northeast corner, Slosson Foxglove (1898) 77.] (2) Lnk. Lay weekly by what money Ye're used to waste, Rodger Poems (1838) 167, ed.
5. w.Yks. (J.W.) I.Ma. There was no house the Doctor was useder to go till to this Sir John's, Brown Doctor (1887) 32. s.Stf. Her was used to say the gell's heart was fixed on somebody, Murray Aunt Rachel (ed. 1889) 14. (3) I.Ma. ‘I've lost the habit of beds,’ he answered. ‘Always used of the Gable loft, you know,’ Caine Manxman (1894) pt. v. xv. (4) Sc. (A.W.) Sh.I. Dem 'at's üs'd wi' da sea is juist as kebbie ta hear a' da news as iver dey wir, Sh. News (Mar. 5, 1898). Rnf. I had little been used wi' sic resolute foes, Webster Rhymes (1835) 115. Dmf. The lasses used wi' kye and wheels, Shennan Tales (1831) 35. e.Dur.1 (5) Not.1 Lei.1 You hadn't use to put 'em a-thatn's, you'd allus use to put 'em a-thisn's. War.3 (6) Sc. Mitchell Scotticisms (1799) 87. (7) n.Lin.1 (8) n.Yks.4 w.Yks. He use to could lift a fifty-six ower his heead wi' one hand, but he can't nah, Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Sept. 16, 1899). ne.Lan.1 I us't at could dance as weel as anybody when I was young. Chs.1 Aw used to could a done it, but aw think aw'e welly forgotten heaw neaw. Not. I can't work as I used to could (L.C.M.). Lin.1 n.Lin.1 I ewsed to could rip along as well as ony man, bud I can't noo. I ewsed to could n't reäd a line e' th' book. sw.Lin.1 I used to could do it as well as any one, one while. Lei.1 War.2 I can't run as I use to could. Oxf. I can't do it now like I use to could (G.O.). Ess.1 [Amer. Dial. Notes (1896) I. 237.] (9) Hmp. (H.C.M.B.) s.Hmp. Things ain't, nor can't be, as they used to was, Verney L. Lisle (1870) xxix. Colloq. They isn't what they used to was, Sharpe's Jrn. XIII. 346. (10) w.Yks. (J.W.) n.Lin.1 He niver went to chech at that time o' daay, 'cos he did n't ewse to would.
6. Followed by a prp. instead of an inf. Lan. Little Jacob used being fond o' them cakes, Hamerton Wenderholme (1869) xi; Stanburnes o' Wendrum Hall doesn't use wantin' sixpences, HAMERTON Wenderholme xxxi.
7. Comp. Use-pole, a pole thicker than a hop-pole and strong enough to use for other purposes. Ken.1 4. To work or till land; to farm. Ken.1; Ken.2 He uses it himself. Who uses this or that farm? Sus. A farmer ‘uses’ so many acres (S.P.H.).
8. To treat. Abd. Weel ees't in the way of food, Alexander Johnny Gibb (1871) viii. Ayr. Jamaica bodies, use him weel, Burns On Sc. Bard, st. 9. Edb. I's no be slack To use you brawly, For I'm your friend, Macaulay Poems (1788) 194. Dmf. Shennan Tales (1831) 49. Lan. Byrom Misc. Poems (1814) I. 119. [Where men are well used, they'll frequent there, Ray Prov. (1678) 27.]
9. To injure, spoil. w.Yks. It does use me ta hev ta run. It uses a good machine ta let it get weet (B.K.).
10. To frequent, haunt; to live at; to make one's home. Hdg. To ane woman clairshocher who usit the home in my lord his times, Ritchie St. Baldred (1883) 64. ne.Lan.1 n.Nrf. The piwipes use here (P.H.E.). w.Som.1 [Yùe·z, pt. yùe·z, pp. u-yùe·z.] Very com. in speaking of both animals and persons. ‘The bullicks 've a-use there to thick pit gin they've a-trode the ground all to a pux.’ ‘They zess how he do use in to Green Dragon purty much.’ Slang. They used to use at a pub in Shoreditch, Horsley Jottings (1887) i. [Amer. These chickens uses round the place, Dial. Notes (1896) I. 375.]
11. To accustom, familiarize. Lnk. Unwilling to use them to this custom of selling water, Wodrow Ch. Hist. (1721) IV. 328, ed. 1828. n.Cy. (J.W.) w.Yks. ‘Ahr Jimmy wean't eyt porridge.’ ‘Haw, but yo' want to use him tul 'em, an' then he will,’ Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Sept. 16, 1899). Midl. N. & Q. (1874) 5th S. ii. 312. Hrf. I'll use him to it (W.W.S.). Hrt. I don't use 'em to come into my room, they'd always be in and out if I did (G.H.G.). Ken.1 It's what you use 'em to when they be young. Sur.1 He has never been in harness, but you'll soon use him to it.
12. To give interest on money. Lin.1 They have not used us well after all.
13. To borrow money. Ken.1 11. To grow accustomed to a place. Dmf. You will use, you will use, and get hefted to the place, as all creatures do, Carlyle Lett. (1836) in Atlantic Monthly (1898)
14. Cor.3 Used by pigeon-keepers to signify that a pigeon has got accustomed to a new home and may be trusted not to fly away when let out. ‘I should like to see that one fly.’ ‘She edn used yet, and I can't afford to lose her.’