us ['wē] -pron, pl in constr

(variant of we)

  1. I and the rest of a group that includes me : you and I : you and I and another or others : I and another or others not including you used as pronoun of the first person plural
  2. i used by sovereigns used by writers to keep an impersonal character

US -abbr

  1. United States

USA -abbr

  1. United States Army
  2. United States of America

us·able ['yü-zə-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. capable of being used
  2. convenient and practicable for use

USAF -abbr

  1. United States Air Force

us·age ['yü-sij, -zij] -n

  1. firmly established and generally accepted practice or procedure
  2. a uniform certain reasonable lawful practice existing in a particular locality or occupation and binding persons entering into transactions chiefly on the basis of presumed familiarity
  3. the way in which words and phrases are actually used (as in a particular form or sense) in a language community
  4. the action, amount, or mode of using
    • a decreased usage of electricity
  5. manner of treating

us·ance ['yü-zᵊn(t)s] -n

  1. usage
  2. use, employment
  3. usury
  4. interest
  5. the time allowed by custom for payment of a bill of exchange in foreign commerce

USB [,yü-(,)es-'bē] -n

  1. a standardized serial computer interface that allows simplified attachment of peripherals esp. in a daisy chain

USCG -abbr

  1. United States Coast Guard

USDA -abbr

  1. United States Department of Agriculture

use ['yüs] -n

  1. the act or practice of employing something : employment, application
    • he made good use of his spare time
  2. the fact or state of being used
    • a dish in daily use
  3. a method or manner of employing or applying something
    • gained practice in the use of the camera
  4. habitual or customary usage
  5. an individual habit or group custom
  6. a liturgical form or observance
  7. a liturgy having modifications peculiar to a local church or religious order
  8. the privilege or benefit of using something
    • gave him the use of her car
  9. the ability or power to use something (as a limb or faculty)
  10. the legal enjoyment of property that consists in its employment, occupation, exercise, or practice
    • she had the use of the estate for life
  11. a particular service or end
    • put learning to practical use
  12. the quality of being suitable for employment
    • saving things that might be of use
  13. good
    • it's no use arguing
  14. the occasion or need to employ
    • took only what they had use for
  15. the benefit in law of one or more persons
  16. the benefit or profit of property established in one other than the legal possessor
  17. a legal arrangement by which such benefits and profits are so established
  18. a favorable attitude : liking
    • had no use for modern art
  19. accustom, habituate
  20. to put into action or service : avail oneself of : employ
  21. to consume or take (as liquor or drugs) regularly
  22. to carry out a purpose or action by means of : utilize
  23. manipulate
    • used him selfishly
  24. to expend or consume by putting to use often used with up
  25. to behave toward : act with regard to : treat
    • used the prisoners cruelly
  26. stand
    • the house could use a coat of paint
  27. used in the past with to to indicate a former fact or state
    • we used to go more often
    • didn't use to smoke
  28. to take illicit drugs regularly

used ['yüzd, in the phrase “used to” usu 'yüs(t)] -adj

  1. employed in accomplishing something
  2. that has endured use
  3. secondhand
    • a used car
  4. accustomed, habituated

use·ful ['yüs-fəl] -adj, adv

  1. capable of being put to use
  2. serviceable for an end or purpose
    • useful tools
  3. of a valuable or productive kind
    • do something useful with your life

use·ful·ness -n

  1. the quality of having utility and esp. practical worth or applicability

use·less ['yüs-ləs] -adj, adv, n

  1. : having or being of no use:
  2. ineffectual
    • a useless attempt
  3. not able to give service or aid : inept

Use·net ['yüz-,net] -n

  1. the aggregation of all the newsgroups on the Internet

us·er ['yü-zər] -n

  1. one that uses

user fee -n

  1. an excise tax often in the form of a license or supplemental charge levied to fund a public service called also user's fee

us·erfriend·ly [,yü-zər-'fren(d)-lē] -adj, n

  1. easy to learn, use, understand, or deal with
    • userfriendly software
  2. agreeable, appealing
    • a userfriendly atmosphere

USES -abbr

  1. United States Employment Service

use up -vt

  1. to exhaust of strength or useful properties
    • land that has been used up

USG -abbr

  1. United States government

USGA -abbr

  1. United States Golf Association

USGS -abbr

  1. United States Geological Survey

ush·er ['ə-shər] -n

  1. an officer or servant who has the care of the door of a court, hall, or chamber
  2. an officer who walks before a person of rank
  3. one who escorts persons to their seats (as in a theater)
  4. an assistant teacher

usher ['ə-sh(ə-)riŋ] -vb

  1. to conduct to a place
  2. to precede as an usher, forerunner, or harbinger
  3. to cause to enter : introduce
    • a new theory usher ed into the world
  4. to serve as an usher
    • usher at a wedding

ush·er·ette [,ə-shə-'ret] -n

  1. a girl or woman who is an usher (as in a theater)

usher in -vt

  1. to serve to bring into being
    • a discovery that ushered in a period of change
  2. to mark or observe the beginning of
    • ushered in the new year with merrymaking

USIA -abbr

  1. United States Information Agency

USMC -abbr

  1. United States Marine Corps

USN -abbr

  1. United States Navy

us·nea ['əs-nē-ə, 'əz-] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Usneaof the family Usneaceae) of widely distributed lichens (as old-man's beard) that have a grayish or yellow pendulous freely branched thallus

USNR -abbr

  1. United States Naval Reserve

USNS -abbr

  1. United States Naval Ship

USO -abbr

  1. United Service Organizations

USP -abbr

  1. United States Pharmacopeia

USPS -abbr

  1. United States Postal Service

us·que·baugh ['əs-kwi-,bȯ, -,bä] -n

  1. whiskey

USS -abbr

  1. United States ship

USSR -abbr

  1. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

USTA -abbr

  1. United States Tennis Association

usu -abbr

  1. usual

usu·al ['yü-zhə-wəl, -zhəl; 'yüzh-wəl] -adj, adv, n

  1. accordant with usage, custom, or habit : normal
  2. commonly or ordinarily used
    • followed his usual route
  3. found in ordinary practice or in the ordinary course of events : ordinary

usual -n

  1. something usual

usu·fruct ['yü-zə-,frəkt, -sə-] -n

  1. the legal right of using and enjoying the fruits or profits of something belonging to another
  2. the right to use or enjoy something

usu·fruc·tu·ary [,yü-zə-'frək-chə-,wer-ē, -sə-] -n

  1. one having the usufruct of property
  2. one having the use or enjoyment of something

usufructuary -adj

  1. of, relating to, or having the character of a usufruct

usu·rer ['yü-zhər-ər, 'yüzh-rər] -n

  1. one that lends money esp. at an exorbitant rate

usu·ri·ous [yu̇-'zhu̇r-ē-əs, -'zu̇r-] -adj, adv, n

  1. practicing usury
  2. involving usury : of the character of usury
    • usurious interest rates

usurp [yu̇-'sərp also -'zərp] -vb, n

  1. to seize and hold (as office, place, or powers) in possession by force or without right
    • usurp a throne
  2. to take or make use of without right
    • usurp ed the rights to her life story
  3. to take the place of by or as if by force : supplant
    • must not let stock responses based on inherited prejudice usurp careful judgment
  4. to seize or exercise authority or possession wrongfully

usu·ry ['yü-zhə-rē, 'yüzh-rē] -n

  1. interest
  2. the lending of money with an interest charge for its use
  3. the lending of money at exorbitant interest rates
  4. an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest
  5. interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money

USVI -abbr

  1. United States Virgin Islands