consumption
[kuhn-suhmp-shuhn]
- the act of consuming, as by use, decay, or destruction.
- the amount consumed: the high consumption of gasoline.
- Economics. the using up of goods and services having an exchangeable value.
- Pathology.
- Older Use.tuberculosis of the lungs.
- progressive wasting of the body.
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Origin of consumption
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
expenditureutilizationdrinkinglosseatingburningdecaymisuseruindevastationdissipationdamagedispersiondepletiondecreasediminutionwastedesolationexhaustiondestructionExamples from the Web for consumption
Contemporary Examples
In the video, Brown misspoke slightly on the number of turkeys killed each year for consumption.
Other human practices, like the hunting and consumption of wild animals for food, provide other opportunities for spillover.
Much of the growth in a perceived middle class, Nijman argues, is based not on income but on consumption driven by credit.
Prior to our consumption, the lights in the lodge were turned off and we were asked to turn off any cellphones.
The consumption of rabbit meat has a long, honorable history in the United States.
Historical Examples
The poor devil had consumption, too, and probably he'll never see them again.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
Her name was Vincent, and her husband, a gilder by trade, had been carried off by consumption.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
Often a patient is described by his doctor as suffering from consumption.
The Three Cities Trilogy, CompleteEmile Zola
A great saving has also been made in the consumption of coal.
The Railroad QuestionWilliam Larrabee
He says, your Highness, that I am like a snake in a consumption!
Vivian GreyEarl of Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli
consumption
- the act of consuming or the state of being consumed, esp by eating, burning, etc
- economics expenditure on goods and services for final personal use
- the quantity consumed
- pathol a condition characterized by a wasting away of the tissues of the body, esp as seen in tuberculosis of the lungs
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin consumptiō a wasting, from consūmere to consume
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for consumption
n.
late 14c., "wasting of the body by disease; wasting disease" (replacing Old English yfeladl "the evil disease"), from Old French consumpcion, from Latin consumptionem (nominative consumptio) "a using up, wasting," noun of state from past participle stem of consumere (see consume). Meaning "the using up of material" is 1530s.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
consumption
(kən-sŭmp′shən)- The act or process of using up something.
- A progressive wasting of body tissue.
- Pulmonary tuberculosis. No longer in technical use.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.