Etymologically
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reuse

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 22:55. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /ɹiːˈjuːs/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English re- + use, the verb from the verb use and the noun from the noun.[2][3][4][5] The OED compares Anglo-Norman reuser, recorded before 1342, Spanish reusar (15th century) and Italian riusare (1745).[2] The noun was formed after the verb.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

To use something a second or further time: 1797, in T. E. Tomlins's revised edition of Jacob's Law-Dictionary.[2][4] Etymonline dates the verb only to 1843 and the noun to 1850,[3] and the Shorter Oxford dates both to the mid 19th century.[5]

Semantic evolution

The noun, a second or further use, followed in 1838, in the Washington Extra Globe.[2][4] Both words were also written re-use.[3][5] The adjective reusable is recorded from the mid 20th century and the noun reusability from the late 20th century.[5]

Timeline

  • 1797 – verb, to use again.[2][4]
  • 1838 – noun, a further use.[2][4]
  • mid 20th century – reusable.[5]
  • late 20th century – reusability.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To use something again, or more than once, as a container or a piece of packaging: We reuse the jars for homemade jam.[6][4][2]

Noun

  1. The act of using something again; a second or further use: bottles collected for reuse.[6][4][2]

Word family

Usage notes

The verb ends in a /z/ sound and the noun in an /s/ sound, as with use.[2][6]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins