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Origin and history of used

used(adj.)

"second-hand," 1590s, past-participle adjective from use (v.). Sometimes also in Middle English "populated" (of a city), "travelled" (of a path or way), "experienced" (of persons). The construction in to be used to "be accustomed to, be familiar with or versed in" is by late 14c.

The verbal phrase used to "formerly did or was" (as in the past used to be the present) represents a construction attested from c. 1300 and common from c. 1400. It is from the otherwise archaic intransitive sense in use (v.), "accustom, make accustomed" (someone, to something). The pronunciation is affected by the t- of to. Used-to-be (n.) "one who has outlived his fame" is from 1853. Compare older has-been.

also from 1590s

Entries linking to used

has-been(n.)

"one who has outlived his fame," c. 1600 (as hes-beene), from the verbal phrase; see has + been.

use(v.)

c. 1200, usen, "employ for a purpose," from Old French user "employ, make use of, practice, frequent," from Vulgar Latin *usare "use," from stem of Latin uti "make use of, profit by, take advantage of, enjoy, apply, consume" (in Old Latin oeti "use, employ, exercise, perform"), a word of uncertain origin. Related: Used; using. It took senses of Old English brucan (see brook (v.)).

For intransitive senses (used to), see used. From c. 1300 as "speak or write a language;" by mid-14c. as "consume" (food, medicine). From late 14c. as "take advantage of" a situation, "seize" an opportunity; "enjoy, have a right to." To use up "consume entirely" is by 1785.

pre-owned(adj.)

"previously owned by another," 1961, of motor vehicles, American English, from pre- + owned. A euphemism for used.

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    Trends of used

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    obelisk
    small spit, obelisk, leg of a compass," diminutive of obelos "a spit, pointed pillar, needle, broach; obelisk; bar of metal used...In dictionaries it is used to mark obsolete words....Greek obelos also was "a mark used in writing; horizontal line used as a diacritic." Related: Obeliscal; obeliskine....
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    1540s, "long, narrow flat-bottomed boat used in Venice," from Italian (Venetian) gondola, earlier in English as goundel,...Used of flat, open railway cars by 1871....Meaning "cabin of an airship" is from 1896, though it was used hypothetically in 1881 in a futurism piece titled "300 Years...
    alabaster
    "translucent, whitish, marble-like mineral used for vases, ornaments, and busts," late 14c., from Old French alabastre (12c...., Modern French albâtre), from Latin alabaster "colored rock used to make boxes and vessels for unguents," from later Greek...Used figuratively for whiteness and smoothness from 1570s. "The spelling in 16-17th c. is almost always alablaster ..."...
    pup
    Used earlier (from 1580s) for "conceited person," from the figurative sense of puppy....Used for "inexperienced person" by 1890....Pup tent (also dog tent) as a type of small tent used in the military is from 1863....
    palette
    1620s, "flat, thin tablet, with a hole at one end for the thumb, used by an artist to lay and mix colors," from French palette...Transferred sense of "colors used by a particular artist" is from 1882....Palette-knife, originally one used by artists for mixing colors, is attested by 1759....
    apply
    late 14c., "join or combine (with); attach (to something), adhere," from Old French aploiier "apply, use, attach" (12c., Modern French appliquer), from Latin applicare "attach to, join, connect;" figuratively, "devote (oneself) to, give attention," from ad "to" (see ad-) + plicar
    address
    early 14c., "to guide, aim, or direct," from Old French adrecier "go straight toward; straighten, set right; point, direct" (13c.), from Vulgar Latin *addirectiare "make straight" (source also of Spanish aderezar, Italian addirizzare), from ad "to" (see ad-) + *directiare "make s
    enjoy
    late 14c., "rejoice, be glad" (intransitive), from stem of Old French enjoir "to give joy, rejoice, take delight in," from en- "make" (see en- (1)) + joir "enjoy," from Latin gaudere "rejoice" (see joy); Sense of "have the use or benefit of" first recorded early 15c. (replacing O

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