Meaning

noun cruel or inhumane treatment

noun a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

noun improper or excessive use

originFrom Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + use.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0