disuse

1 of 2

verb

dis·​use (ˌ)dis-ˈyüz How to pronounce disuse (audio)
dish-
disused; disusing; disuses

transitive verb

: to discontinue the use or practice of

disuse

2 of 2

noun

dis·​use (ˌ)dis-ˈyüs How to pronounce disuse (audio)
dish-
: cessation of use or practice

Examples of disuse in a Sentence

Noun The room was dusty from disuse. since the car has experienced years of disuse, starting it up won't be easy
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
First opened in 1910, the train station received rail passengers until it was shuddered in the 1950s and has sat disused ever since, becoming a favored haunt of urban explorers. Alex Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2023 The papaya-pulp glow of sodium lights on a remote station’s platform revealed the denizens of the wayside: disused open-top hoppers, empty coil cars, corroded gondolas, a modest village in the distance illumined by weak-yellow streetlamps. Mark Orwoll, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2023 The India Point Railroad Bridge is on the other side of the Washington Bridge from the Crook Point Bascule Bridge, which is also disused but charismatically sticking up out of the water. Brian Amaral, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Apr. 2023 Two disused old Mississippi casino barges loom over the scene. Lawrence Specker | , al, 27 Mar. 2023 In the Russian language today, the entire vocabulary of principles and ideals has, after decades of abuse, been relegated to disuse. Hari Kunzru, The New York Review of Books, 4 June 2020
Noun
For many people muscle shortening is a long process, worsening over months or years of disuse. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 Nestled in a pit that had been used to supply water for malting and brewing until around 270 AD, archaeologists believe that the eggs had been left there as gifts to the gods once the pit had fallen into disuse, Biddulph said. Issy Ronald, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024 This is why the Spanish, who arrived in the 1500s and set out to control the people by converting them to Catholicism, banned the cultivation and possession of the crop, which fell into disuse. Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024 After Congress passed an amnesty for most of the former confederates the measure targeted in 1872, the provision fell into disuse until dozens of suits were filed to keep Trump off the ballot this year. Mark Sherman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024 The provision was used to bar a wide range of ex-Confederates from positions ranging from local sheriff to Congress, but fell into disuse after an 1872 congressional amnesty for most former Confederates. TIME, 29 Dec. 2023 The provision was used often in the years immediately after the Civil War, but fell into disuse after Congress granted an amnesty to many confederate veterans in 1872. Nicholas Riccardi, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2023 The train line shuttled workers to factories, brought cattle to the slaughterhouse and carried raw materials like sugar into the city, before falling into disuse starting in the mid-20th century. Juliette Guéron-Gabrielle, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023 After decades of disuse, it was named one of America's Most Endangered Historic Places. Janet Shamlian, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disuse was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near disuse

Cite this Entry

“Disuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disuse. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disuse

noun
dis·​use
dish-ˈüs,
(ˈ)dis-ˈyüs
: lack of use

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