Disused
Ron from Traverse City
was surprised when he came across the word disused
in a novel, since he can’t remember seeing it before in print. It’s part of a
cluster: disused, unused, and misused. Let’s take each in turn.
Disused:
For the most part, this word is now considered obsolete. Originally, it meant
out of the habit (Living in Florida, I am
disused to cold weather). It is sometimes used in place of unused or empty
(The rave was held in a disused warehouse),
but that’s not quite standard usage.
Unused: Empty or not made use of (The unused portion of the loaf of bread was
tossed when it developed mold). It can also mean unaccustomed (Unused as I am to public speaking, I get
very nervous in front of an audience).
Misused:
Used improperly (He misused books as
doorstops) or abused (Animal Control
stepped in when he misused his horses).
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