Lewis & Short

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.

  1. I. Lit.
          1. (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. prol. 5 Ruhnk.: meretricem, id. Phorm. 2, 3, 66: suam vim, Lucr. 5, 1032.
          2. (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,
  2. 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. id. Verr. 2, 2, 25, § 61; id. N. D. 1, 23, 64 al.
    1. B. Esp., in rhet. (of words), to use improperly, Cic. Or. 27, 94; id. de Or. 3, 43, 169; Quint. 5, 10, 6 al.
      Note: 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.