Part 36

The . . . tellers of news abused the general. Macaulay.

4. To dishonor. "Shall flight abuse your name?" Shak.

5. To violate; to ravish. Spenser.

6. To deceive; to impose on. [Obs.]

Their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist cloud, and abused by a double object. Jer. Taylor.

Syn. -- To maltreat; injure; revile; reproach; vilify; vituperate; asperse; traduce; malign.

A*buse" (&?;), n. [F. abus, L. abusus, fr. abuti. See Abuse, v. t.] 1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.

Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power. Madison.

2. Physical ill treatment; injury. "Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff." Shak.

3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.

Abuse after disappeared without a struggle.. Macaulay.

4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.

The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows. Macaulay.

5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. [Obs.]

Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? Shak.

Abuse of distress (Law), a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer.

Syn. -- Invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult; opprobrium. -- Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy. C. J. Smith.

A*buse"ful (&?;), a. Full of abuse; abusive. [R.] "Abuseful names." Bp. Barlow.

A*bus"er (&?;), n. One who abuses [in the various senses of the verb].

A*bu"sion (&?;), n. [OE. abusion, abusioun, OF. abusion, fr. L. abusio misuse of words, f. abuti. See Abuse, v. t.] Evil or corrupt usage; abuse; wrong; reproach; deception; cheat. Chaucer.

A*bu"sive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. abusif, fr. L. abusivus.] 1. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied.

I am . . . necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof. Fuller.

2. Given to misusing; also, full of abuses. [Archaic] "The abusive prerogatives of his see." Hallam.

3. Practicing abuse; prone to ill treat by coarse, insulting words or by other ill usage; as, an abusive author; an abusive fellow.

4. Containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. "An abusive lampoon." Johnson.

5. Tending to deceive; fraudulent; cheating. [Obs.] "An abusive treaty." Bacon.

Syn. -- Reproachful; scurrilous; opprobrious; insolent; insulting; injurious; offensive; reviling.

A*bu"sive*ly, adv. In an abusive manner; rudely; with abusive language.