Lexic.us

Definition of Abuse

1. Noun. Cruel or inhumane treatment. "The child showed signs of physical abuse"

2. Verb. Treat badly. "They want to abuse the prisoners "; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"

3. Noun. A rude expression intended to offend or hurt. "They yelled insults at the visiting team"

4. Verb. Change the inherent purpose or function of something. "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"

5. Noun. Improper or excessive use. "The abuse of public funds"

6. Verb. Use foul or abusive language towards. "The angry mother shouted at the teacher"

7. Verb. Use wrongly or improperly or excessively. "While she was pregnant, she abused drugs"

Definition of Abuse

1. v. t. To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.

2. n. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.

Definition of Abuse

1. Noun. Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; perversion. (defdate from 15th c) ¹

2. Noun. Physical or verbal maltreatment; injury. ¹

3. Noun. Forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another ¹

4. Noun. An unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime; fault. ¹

5. Noun. Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language. ¹

6. Verb. (context: transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to misuse; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to '''abuse''' one's authority. (defdate from early 15th c.) ¹

7. Verb. (context: transitive obsolete) To have sex in a perverse manner; incest, homosexuality, prostitution. ¹

8. Verb. (context: transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty. ¹

9. Verb. (context: transitive) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile. ¹

10. Verb. (context: transitive obsolete) To deceive; to trick; to impose on. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Abuse

1. to use wrongly or improperly [v ABUSED, ABUSING, ABUSES] : ABUSABLE [adj]

Medical Definition of Abuse

1. 1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language. "Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power." (Madison) 2. Physical ill treatment; injury. "Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff." 3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service. "Abuse after disappeared without a struggle." (Macaulay) 4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling. "The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows." (Macaulay) 5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. "Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?" (Shak) Abuse of distress, a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer. Synonym: Invective, contumely, reproach, scurrility, insult, opprobrium. Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy. Origin: F. Abus, L. Abusus, fr. Abuti. See Abuse. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Abuse

abundant number abundant numbers abundantly abundaries abundary abundaunce abundaunces abundaunt abune abunidazole

aburst abus'd abusable abusage abusages abuse of discretion abuse of distress abuse of process abused abusee

abusees abuseful abusefully abusefulness abuser abusers abuses

Literary usage of Abuse

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Handbook of the Law of Torts by Heman Gerald Chapin (1917)
"interference with his person "• or property.117 But in other cases both allegation and proof would seem necessary.118 -MALICIOUS USE AND abuse OF PROCESS ..."

2. International Law: A Treatise by Lassa Oppenheim (1906)
"(i) A belligerent man-of-war may first abuse asylum by ascertaining whether ... To prevent such abuse, several neutral States in the eighteenth century made ..."

3. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke (1894)
"X. -n the use oj. words, (.here are several wilful faults and neglects ~"~ and the obscurity and confusion that is so hard to be avoided abuse of ..."

4. Drug Use Among Racial/Ethnic Minorities edited by Andrea Kopstein (1998)
"Beginning in the President's Advisory Commission on Narcotic and Drug abuse, and in the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug abuse, recognized the ..."

5. Juvenile Offenders & Victims: A National Report by Howard N. Snyder (1995)
"Caseworkers generally respond to reports of abuse and neglect within 2 to 3 days. ... Individuals likely to identify abuse are often those in a position to ..."

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