Main Entry: ¹ex·haust

Pronunciation: \ig-ˈzȯst\

Function: verb

Etymology: Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurire, from ex- + haurire to draw; akin to Middle High German œsen to empty, Greek auein to take

Date: 1531

transitive verb 1 a : to consume entirely : use up <exhausted our funds in a week> b : to tire extremely or completely <exhausted by overwork> c : to deprive of a valuable quality or constituent <exhaust a photographic developer> <exhaust a soil of fertility>
2 a : to draw off or let out completely b : to empty by drawing off the contents; specifically : to create a vacuum in
3 a : to consider or discuss (a subject) thoroughly or completely b : to try out the whole number of <exhausted all the possibilities>intransitive verb : discharge, empty <the engine exhausts through the muffler>

synonyms see deplete, tire

— ex·haust·er noun

— ex·haust·ibil·i·ty \-ˌzȯ-stə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— ex·haust·ible \-ˈzȯ-stə-bəl\ adjective