Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Use, subst. 1) the act of employing a thing: “torches are made to light, . . . fresh beauty for the u.” Ven. 164. who (the tongue) “mad that sorrow should his u. control,” Lucr. 1781. “mine be thy love, and thy love's u. their treasure,” Sonn. 20, 14. “all corners else o'the earth let liberty make u. of,” Tp. I, 2, 492. “u. of service none,” II, 1, 151. “no u. of metal,” II, 1, 151 “they want the u. of tongue,” III, 3, 38. he hath no u. of them (his eyes) Wiv. III, 2, 32. “every scope by the immoderate u. turns to restraint,” Meas. I, 2, 131. “I know not what u. to put her to,” Err. III, 2, 97. “thy jealous fits have scared thy husband from the u. of wits,” V, 86. “you have forsworn the u. of eyes,” LLL IV, 3, 310. “for u. of that which is mine own,” Merch. I, 3, 114. “be able for thine enemy rather in power than u.” All's I, 1, 75. “can serve the world for no honest u.” IV, 3, 341. “can such sweet u. make of what they hate,” IV, 4, 22. “I put you to the u. of your own virtues,” V, 1, 16. “mine own purse, which I had recommended to his u.” Tw. V, 94. “the time is worth the u. on't,” Wint. III, 1, 14 (== the time is worth having been used, i. e. spent most usefully). “creatures of note for mercy-lacking --s,” John IV, 1, 121. “my tongue's u. is to me no more than an unstringed viol,” R2 I, 3, 161. “when we need your u. and counsel,” H4A I, 3, 21 (== the use of your counsel; cf. And). “I make as good u. of it,” III, 3, 33. “another for u.” H4B II, 2, 21. “things that are mouldy lack u.” III, 2, 119. “more perfect in the u. of arms,” IV, 1, 155. “sets it in act and u.” IV, 3, 126. “comes to no u.” IV, 4, 72. “Davy serves you for good --s,” V, 3, 11. “what u. we made of them,” H5 I, 2, 268. “thou makest u. of any thing,” III, 7, 70. “many hands, and no u.” Troil. I, 2, 30. “served me to effectless u.” Tit. III, 1, 76. “strained from that fair u.” Rom. II, 3, 19. “dignities which vacant lie for thy best u. and wearing,” Tim. V, 1, 146. “if thou hast any sound or u. of voice,” Hml. I, 1, 128. “to what base --s we may return,” V, 1, 223. “we must have u. of your advice,” Lr. II, 1, 123. “craves the instant u.” Lr. II, 1, 123 “having made u. of him,” Ant. III, 5, 7. “have no u. for trusting,” V, 2, 15 (don't know what to do with it) etc.
Often preceded by to instead of for: “for terror, not to u.” Meas. I, 3, 26. “what I saw, to my good u. I remembered,” Wint. IV, 4, 616. “spare mine eyes, though to no u. but still to look on you,” John IV, 1, 103. to one's u. == in order to be at one's disposal: “take it up unto thy master's u.” Shr. IV, 3, 159 (quibbling). “my fair name . . . to dark dishonour's u. thou shalt not have,” R2 I, 1, 169 (that disgrace may dispose of it, deal with it, at pleasure). “the prisoners . . . to his own u. he keeps,” H4A I, 1, 94. “hath here distrained the Tower to his u.” H6A I, 3, 61. “till he disbursed . . . ten thousand dollars to our general u.” Mcb. I, 2, 62. to u., without a genitive, == at command: “o'er whom both sovereign power and father's voice I have to u.” All's II, 3, 61. “any thing I have is his to u.” H6B V, 1, 53.
2) utility, advantage, profit: “make u. of time,” Ven. 129 (== improve the moment). “made u. and fair advantage of his days,” Gent. II, 4, 68. “can you make no u. of your discontent?” Ado I, 3, 40 (== derive advantage from it). “sweet are the --s of adversity,” As II, 1, 12. “which should give us a further u. to be made than alone the recovery of the king,” All's II, 3, 41. “I must lose the u. of all deceit,” John V, 4, 27. “I rather of his absence make this u.” H4A IV, 1, 76. “a good wit will make u. of any thing,” H4B I, 2, 277. “made her serve your --s,” II, 1, 127. “practised on me for thy u.” H5 II, 2, 99. “any groat I hoarded to my u.” H6B III, 1, 113. “make u. now, and provide for thine own future safety,” H8 III, 2, 421 (== let not advantage slip). “what things there are most abject in regard and dear in u.” Troil. III, 3, 128. “make u. of thy salt hours,” Tim. IV, 3, 85.
3) present possession, usufruct: “so he will let me have the other half in u., to render it, upon his death, unto the gentleman,” Merch. IV, 1, 383. “my full heart remains in u. with you,” Ant. I, 3, 44.
4) interest paid for borrowed money: “gold that's put to u. more gold begets,” Ven. 768. “thou usurer, that put'st forth all to u.” Sonn. 134, 10. “that u. is not forbidden usury which happies those that pay the willing loan,” 6, 5. she (nature) “determines herself the glory of a creditor, both thanks and u.” Meas. I, 1, 41. “he lent it me awhile, and I gave him u. for it,” Ado II, 1, 288. “being kept together and put to u.” Tw. III, 1, 57.
5) occasion or need of employment, necessity, exigency: should we ne'er have u. for 'em (friends) Tim. I, 2, 101. “my --s cry to me,” II, 1, 20. “to supply his instant u. with so many talents,” III, 2, 41. “here is no u. for gold,” IV, 3, 290. “that mine own u. invites me to cut down,” V, 1, 209. “I have u. for it,” Oth. III, 3, 319. “receive us for barbarous and unnatural revolts during their u. and slay us after,” Cymb. IV, 4, 7.
6) practice, habitual exercise: “every alien pen hath got my u.” Sonn. 78, 3. “how u. doth breed a habit in a man,” Gent. V, 4, 1. “to give fear to u. and liberty,” Meas. I, 4, 62 (== to the practice of liberty, or to licentious practice). my dull deaf ears (have) “a little u. to hear,” Err. V, 316. “still u. of grief makes wild grief tame,” R3 IV, 4, 229. “my arms are out of u.” Troil. V, 6, 16. “a brain that leads my u. of anger to better vantage,” Cor. III, 2, 30. to the u. of actions fair and good he (custom) “likewise gives a frock or livery that aptly is put on,” Hml. III, 4, 163. “her speech is nothing, yet the unshaped u. of it doth move the hearers to collection,” IV, 5, 8. “our laws, whose u. the sword of Caesar hath too much mangled,” Cymb. III, 1, 56. “custom what they did begin was with long u. account no sin,” Cymb. III, 1, 56.
Hence == custom (habitual practice as well as common occurrence): “his u. was to put a ducat in her clack-dish,” Meas. III, 2, 134. it is still her (Fortune's) “u. to let the wretched man outlive his wealth,” Merch. IV, 1, 268. “with more haste than is his u.” All's V, 1, 24. “made impudent with u. of evil deeds,” H6C I, 4, 117. “a return exceeding all u. of quittance,” Tim. I, 1, 291. “the deed of saying is quite out of u.” V, 1, 28. “these things are beyond all u.” Caes. II, 2, 25. “blood and destruction shall be so in u.” III, 1, 265. “out of u. and staled by other men,” IV, 1, 38. “against the u. of nature,” Mcb. I, 3, 137. “cleave not to their mould but with the aid of u.” Mcb. I, 3, 137 “my strange and self-abuse is the initiate fear that wants hard u.” III, 4, 143. “u. almost can change the stamp of nature,” Hml. III, 4, 168. “is it his u.?” Oth. IV, 1, 285. “though tongues were out of u.” V, 1, 110.
Plur. --s == manners, ways, doings: “how weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem to me all the --s of this world,” Hml. I, 2, 134. “heaven me such --s send, not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend,” Oth. IV, 3, 105 (Q1 usage).