Disusing

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To abandon or neglect the use of something previously employed; to cease from making practical or effective use of an idea or tool; to render something irrelevant or unnecessary by no longer utilizing it
2. To stop using a particular method or resource that was once considered beneficial; to forgo the application of a concept or strategy; to let something lapse into disuse without maintaining its function
3. To discontinue the employment of a specific practice that was once active; to fail to utilize an approach or item that had historical relevance; to allow something to fall out of favor or activity through neglect

Etymology: "Disusing" is simply the present participle and gerund of "disuse," so its story is really the story of its base verb. "Disuse" comes from Old French "desuser," which combines "dis-," a prefix meaning apart or away, with "use." Together the pieces describe the act of stopping the employment of something, letting it fall out of practice. The verb's journey runs through French rather than directly from Latin, so the English word inherited its shape and sense from that medieval French source. Because the base word is a plain combination of a negating prefix and an everyday noun, there is little hidden drama here: the meaning follows directly from the parts. The "-ing" ending then turns the verb into a participle or gerund, allowing it to describe the ongoing process of no longer using something.

Synonyms: abandoning, neglecting, forsaking

Antonyms: using, employing, utilizing