ăb-ūtor, ūsus, 3, v. dep., to use up any thing, to use to the end, to consume entirely (utendo vel in usum consumere, Non. p. 76, 29); constr. in ante-class. period with acc., in class. per. with abl.
I Lit.
α With acc.: nos aurum abusos, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 126; so, argentum, id. Pers. 2, 3, 10: qui abusus sum tantam rem patriam, id. Trin. 3, 2, 56: operam, Ter. And. 5 Ruhnk.: meretricem, id. Phorm. 413: suam vim, Lucr. 5, 1032.—
β With abl.: sumus parati abuti tecum hoc otio, to spend this leisure time with you , Cic. Rep. 1, 9 Creuz; so, otio liberaliter, Vell. 2, 105, 1: omni tempore, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 9, § 25: sole, id. Att. 12, 6, 2: studiis, id. Fam. 9, 6, 5: me abusum isto prooemio, id. Att. 16, 6, 4 al.: abuti aliquā re ad aliquid, to make use of for any purpose , to take advantage of : abuti sagacitate canum ad utilitatem nostram, id. N. D. 2, 60, 151; cf. id. Lig. 1, 1; id. Mil. 2, 6.—Hence,
II In a bad sense, to misuse , to abuse : sapientiam tuam abusa est haec, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 29; so in the exordium of the first oration against Cat.: Quousque tandem abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra? will you abuse our patience? libertate, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 43, § 113: intemperanter otio et litteris, id. Tusc. 1, 3, 6: iis festivitatibus insolentius, id. Or. 52, 176 al.: legibus ac majestate ad quaestum, id. Rosc. Am. 19, 54; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 25, § 61; id. N. D. 1, 23, 64 al.—
B Esp., in rhet. (of words), to use improperly , Cic. Or. 27, 94; id. de Or. 3, 43, 169; Quint. 5, 10, 6 al.☞ Pass. : abusa, consumed , Plaut. As. 1, 3, 44; so also Varr.: utile utamur potius quam ab rege abutamur, ap. Prisc. p. 792 P., and Q. Hortensius, ib., abusis locis: abutendus, Suet. Galb. 14.