abuse
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
abuse
▶verb /əˈbjuːz/
- 1 use to bad effect or for a bad purpose.
- 2 treat with cruelty or violence.
■ assault sexually.
- 3 address in an insulting and offensive way.
- 1 the improper use of something.
- 2 cruel and violent treatment.
■ sexual assault.
- 3 insulting and offensive language.
– derivatives
abuser noun.
abuser noun.
– origin ME: via OFr. from L. abus-, abuti ‘misuse’, from ab- ‘away’ + uti ‘to use’.
'abuse' also found in these Oxford entries:
abusive
- child abuse
- false memory
- frog
- heckle
- hurl
- insult
- mamzer
- molest
- pillory
- relator
- retard
- ritual abuse
- satanic abuse
- self-abuse
- snash
- solvent abuse
- son
- torrent
- tosser
- tosspot
- verbal
- V-sign
