used to

1. Used before an uninflected verb to indicate an action or state that was done or existed formerly or previously. (The verb is sometimes dropped if referenced earlier.) I used to be a high school principal, before I changed careers. A: "Do you have guitar I could borrow?" B: "I used to, but I sold it last year."

2. Familiar with or habituated to someone or something. Is she getting used to her new job? I know Gregory can be a bit pretentious at times, but you get used to him after a while. I never could get used to driving on the other side of the road when I lived in England.

See also: to, used

*used to someone or something

Fig. accustomed to someone or something; familiar and comfortable with someone or something. (*Typically: be ~; become ~; get~.) I am used to eating better food than this. I am used to the doctor I have and I don't want to change.

See also: to, used

used to do something

to have done something [customarily] in the past. We used to go swimming in the lake before it became polluted. I used to eat nuts, but then I became allergic to them.

See also: to, used

used to

1. Accustomed or habituated to. This expression is often put as be or get used to , as in I'm not used to driving a manual-shift car, or She can't get used to calling him Dad. [Early 1500s]

2. Formerly. This sense is used with a following verb to indicate a past state, as in I used to ride my bicycle to the post office, or This used to be the best restaurant in town. [Late 1800s]

See also: to, used

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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References in periodicals archive

In short, it can be used to appeal any procedural aspect of a lien, including whether an IRS refusal to withdraw it is appropriate.

IRS's collection appeals program

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Engaging and assessing students in online courses

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Preparation of reference material 8504, transformer oil

The same computer power that yields strong encryption can be used to break weak encryption schemes.

Data encryption strategies; Part 2: encrypting high-performance, high-volume storage

Thus, turbidity became one of the measurement tools used to track success or failure.

If it's "broke," fix it with coagulants

A Hindustani word, lotahs are water containers used to clean yourself after using the toilet.

Our little secrets: a Pakistani artist explores the shame and pride of her community's bathroom practices

The same intuition can be used to avoid unhealthy natural and man-made energy fields, allowing for safer house placement and location of stress-free sleeping areas.

Home diagnosis the old fashioned way Lee Barnes shares the science and mystery of the ancient art of dowsing

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An ounce of prevention from a ton of tomatoes

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Greenhouse gases

The aggregates used to produce PCC pavement and structural PCC for buildings will have similar, if not the same, aggregate used.

Choice cuts: recycled concrete aggregate can make the grade in several applications, according to the FHWA

I will mention specific products I used to make it easier for the reader to prepare an "emergency solo kit" for the day he/she will experience in the inevitable life of a solo practitioner.

My day as a "solo" practitioner

Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of any use and consistent use of condoms, and the associations between levels of condom use and STDs.

Consistent use vs. ever-use of condoms: which measure is more useful?

There is some pollution associated with the chemical kraft process used to produce pulp from kenaf, though it is substantially less pollution than that of virgin wood pulping.

The paper chase: the paperless office is still a distant dream. In the interim, we should be recycling more and developing alternatives to wood-based paper