Consume

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: con=sume

CIDE DICTIONARY

Consume, v. t. [L. consumere to take wholly or completely, to consume; con- + sumere to take; sub + emere to buy. See Redeem.].

 To destroy, as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire; to use up; to expend; to waste; to burn up; to eat up; to devour.  [1913 Webster]
"If he were putting to my house the brand
That shall consume it."  [1913 Webster]
"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume."  [1913 Webster]
"Let me alone . . . that I may consume them."

Syn. -- To destroy; swallow up; ingulf; absorb; waste; exhaust; spend; expend; squander; lavish; dissipate.

Consume, v. i. 

 To waste away slowly.  [1913 Webster]
"Therefore, let Benedick, like covered fire,
Consume away in sighs."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Consume, v.tr.
1 eat or drink.
2 completely destroy; reduce to nothing or to tiny particles (fire consumed the building).
3 (as consumed adj.) possessed by or entirely taken up (foll. by with : consumed with rage).
4 use up (time, energy, etc.).

Derivative

consumingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. L consumere (as com-, sumere sumpt- take up): partly through F consumer

THESAURUS

Consume

Sanforize, abate, ablate, absorb, annihilate, assimilate, atomize, atrophy, attenuate, bate, be eaten away, bestow, bleed white, blow, break up, bring to ruin, burn down, burn up, come apart, condemn, confound, consecrate to, consume away, corrode, crack up, cremate, crumble, crumble into dust, damn, deal destruction, decay, decimate, decline, decompose, decrease, dedicate to, deliquesce, demolish, deplete, depreciate, depredate, desolate, despoil, destroy, devastate, devote, devour, die away, digest, diminish, disintegrate, disjoin, disorganize, dispatch, dispose of, dissipate, dissolve, dive, do in, down, drain, drain of resources, dribble away, drink up, drop, drop off, dry up, dwindle, eat, eat up, ebb, emacerate, emaciate, employ, engorge, engross, erode, exhaust, expend, fall, fall away, fall off, fall to pieces, finish, finish off, fission, fritter away, get away with, get down, give over to, give to, gobble, gobble up, gorge, gulp, gulp down, gut, gut with fire, guzzle, havoc, impoverish, incendiarize, incinerate, ingest, inhale, languish, lavish, lay in ruins, lay waste, lessen, let up, lose, macerate, melt away, molder, obsess, occupy, overcome, overwhelm, parch, pass, pine away, plummet, plunge, polish off, preoccupy, preshrink, punish, put away, put down, put in, ravage, raze, reduce, reduce to ashes, ruin, ruinate, run low, run to seed, run to waste, sag, sear, sew up, shift, shipwreck, shrink, shrivel, sink, spend, spill, split, squander, subside, suck dry, surround, swallow, swallow up, swill, tail off, take down, take in, thin, throw away, throw into disorder, total, tuck in, unleash destruction, unleash the hurricane, upheave, use up, vandalize, vaporize, wane, waste, waste away, wear, wear away, wear out, weazen, while, while away, wile, wither, wither away, wizen, wolf, wrack, wreak havoc, wreck

ROGET THESAURUS

Consume

Waste

VB spend, expend, use, consume, swallow up, exhaust, impoverish, spill, drain, empty, disperse, cast away, fool away, muddle away, throw away, fling away, fritter away, burn the candle at both ends, waste, squander, waste its sweetness on the desert air, cast one's bread upon the waters, cast pearls before swine, employ a steam engine to crack a nut, waste powder and shot, break a butterfly on a wheel, labor in vain, cut blocks with a razor, pour water into a sieve, leak, run to waste, ebb, melt away, run dry, dry up.

Use

VB use, make use of, employ, put to use, put in action, put in operation, put in practice, set in motion, set to work, ply, work, wield, handle, manipulate, play, play off, exert, exercise, practice, avail oneself of, profit by, resort to, have recourse to, recur to, take betake oneself to, take up with, take advantage of, lay one's hands on, try, render useful, mold, turn to account, turn to use, convert to use, utilize, work up, call into play, bring into play, put into requisition, call forth, draw forth, press into service, enlist into the service, bring to bear upon, devote, dedicate, consecrate, apply, adhibit, dispose of, make a handle of, make a cat's-paw of, fall back upon, make a shift with, make the most of, make the best of, use up, swallow up, consume, absorb, expend, tax, task, wear, put to task.

Destruction

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.