abusage

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Synonym of abuse.

Pronunciation

/əˈbjuːsɪd͡ʒ/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-abusage.wav

Word forms

abusage abusages

Etymology

From abuse + -age. First appeared in Middle English, c. 1450–1475, meaning “sexual misconduct”: cf. abuse (“forcing of undesired sexual activity”). Later in the 16th century, a general synonym of abuse. The word was partly repopularized after the appearance of a grammar titled Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English in 1942.

Synonyms

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