consume

See also: consumé

English

Etymology

From Middle English consumen, from Old French consumer, from Latin cōnsūmere, cōnsūmō, from con- (“with, together”) +‎ sūmō (“take; consume”), from sub- +‎ emō (“to buy, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁em- (“to take, distribute”), possibly related to the root *nem- (“to take or give one's due”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, UK) IPA^(key): /kənˈsjuːm/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (UK) IPA^(key): /kənˈʃuːm/
• (US) enPR: kən-so͞om, IPA^(key): /kənˈsum/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /kənˈsjʉːm/
• Rhymes: -uːm

Verb

consume (third-person singular simple present consumes, present participle consuming, simple past and past participle consumed)

1. (transitive) To use up.

   The power plant consumes 30 tons of coal per hour.

2. (transitive) To eat.

   Baby birds consume their own weight in food each day.

   • 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Andromeda Wildlife: Overview Codex entry:

     Concerns were raised around the ability of Milky Way species to consume proteins from Andromeda, so seed banks formed a significant part of the arks' cargo. We now know it is safe to consume food grown or hunted here, though enzyme supplements are recommended and have become a social norm at mealtimes.

3. (transitive) To completely occupy the thoughts or attention of.

   Desire consumed him.

4. (transitive) To destroy completely.

   The building was consumed by fire.

   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]:

     If he were putting to my house the brand / That shall consume it.

   • 1900, The New Covenant Commonly Called the New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (American Standard Version), New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, Matthew 6:19–20:

     Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through to steal: […]

5. (intransitive, obsolete) To waste away slowly.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     Therefore, let Benedick, like cover'd fire, / Consume away in sighs.

   • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CDXLI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson;  […], →OCLC:

     But, sir, you see how weak I am. You must see that I have been consuming from day to day […] .

   • 1899, Kate Chopin, The Awakening:

     He assured her the child was consuming at that moment in the next room.

6. (economics, transitive, intransitive) To trade money for good or services as an individual.

   In a materialistic society, individuals are taught to consume, consume, consume.

   If you consume this product while in Japan, you may be subject to consumption tax.

7. (transitive) To absorb information, especially through the mass media.

   The Internet has changed the way we consume news.

Synonyms

• (use): burn (of energy), use, use up
• (eat): devour, eat, swallow
• (occupy): occupy, overcome, take over
• (destroy): annihilate, destroy, devastate, eliminate, obliterate, raze (of a building), wipe out

Derived terms

• all-consuming
• consumer

Related terms

• consumption
• consumptive

Translations

use up

• Bulgarian: изразходвам (bg) (izrazhodvam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 耗費／耗费 (zh) (hàofèi), 消耗 (zh) (xiāohào), 耗盡／耗尽 (zh) (hàojìn), 用盡／用尽 (zh) (yòngjìn)

• Czech: spotřebovat (cs)
• Danish: forbruge
• Dutch: consumeren (nl), verbruiken (nl)
• Finnish: kuluttaa (fi)
• French: consommer (fr)
• Galician: consumir (gl)
• German: verbrauchen (de)
• Greek: καταναλώνω (el) (katanalóno), εξαντλώ (el) (exantló)
• Hebrew: צרך (he) (tsarákh)
• Hungarian: fogyaszt (hu), elfogyaszt (hu), él (hu)
• Irish: caith

  Old Irish: caithid

• Italian: consumare (it)
• Japanese: 消費する (ja) (しょうひする, shōhi suru), 消耗する (ja) (しょうもうする, shōmō suru), 使い果たす (つかいはたす, tsukai-hatasu)
• Latvian: patērēt
• Maori: whakapeto, none, whakahemo
• Norwegian: forbruke, bruke opp
• Persian: مصرف کردن (fa)
• Polish: zużyć (pl)
• Portuguese: consumir (pt)
• Romanian: consuma (ro)
• Russian: потреблять (ru) (potrebljatʹ), расходовать (ru) (rasxodovatʹ)
• Thai: อุปโภค (th) (ù-bpà-pôok), ใช้ (th) (chái)
• Turkish: kullanmak (tr), harcamak (tr)
• Ukrainian: спожива́ти impf (spožyváty), спожи́ти pf (spožýty)
• Vietnamese: dùng (vi), tiêu thụ (vi)
• Zazaki: xerc kerden, karnen

eat

• Bulgarian: изяждам (bg) (izjaždam), изпивам (bg) (izpivam)
• Catalan: consumir (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 食用 (zh) (shíyòng), 吃 (zh) (chī), 攝取／摄取 (zh) (shèqǔ)

• Danish: indtage
• Dutch: consumeren (nl)
• Esperanto: konsumi
• Finnish: kuluttaa (fi), syödä (fi)
• French: consommer (fr)
• Galician: consumir (gl)
• German: verzehren (de)
• Greek: καταναλώνω (el) (katanalóno)
• Hebrew: צרך (he) (tsarákh)
• Hindi: उपभोग करना (upbhog karnā)
• Hungarian: elfogyaszt (hu), fogyaszt (hu)
• Ido: manjar (io)
• Irish: caith

  Old Irish: caithid

• Italian: consumare (it)
• Japanese: 食する (ja) (しょくする, shoku suru), 摂取する (ja) (せっしゅする, sesshu suru), 食べ尽くす (たべつくす, tabe-tsukusu)
• Latin: peredō, exedō
• Norwegian: fortære (no)
• Occitan: consumar (oc)
• Persian: مصرف کردن (fa)
• Polish: spożywać (pl) impf, spożyć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: consumir (pt)
• Romanian: consuma (ro)
• Russian: потреблять (ru) (potrebljatʹ), поедать (ru) (pojedatʹ)
• Sanskrit: अत्ति (sa) (atti), खादति (sa) (khādati)
• Slovene: uživati impf, užiti pf
• Spanish: consumir (es)
• Swedish: förtära (sv), inmundiga (sv)
• Thai: บริโภค (th) (bɔɔ-rí-pôok), กิน (th) (gin)
• Tocharian B: śu-
• Turkish: yemek (tr), tüketmek (tr)
• Ukrainian: спожива́ти impf (spožyváty), спожи́ти pf (spožýty)
• Vietnamese: ăn (vi)
• Zazaki: werden, qedinen
• ǃKung: m

occupy thoughts

• Bulgarian: заемам (bg) (zaemam), отнемам (bg) (otnemam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 迷住 (zh) (mízhu), 著迷／着迷 (zháomí)

• Dutch: bezighouden (nl), verteren (nl)
• Finnish: kuluttaa (fi), kalvaa (fi)
• Persian: تمام وجود کسی را فرا گرفتن
• Romanian: (intransitive) se consuma
• Russian: занима́ть (ru) (zanimátʹ), поглоща́ть (ru) (pogloščátʹ)

destroy completely

• Bulgarian: поглъщам (bg) (poglǎštam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 摧毀／摧毁 (zh) (cuīhuǐ), 吞噬 (zh) (tūnshì)

• Cornish: kowlleski (by fire)
• Dutch: verteren (nl), consumeren (nl)
• Finnish: tuhota (fi), tuhoutua (fi)
• French: consumer (fr)
• German: verzehren (de)
• Greek: αφανίζω (el) (afanízo), εξολοθρεύω (el) (exolothrévo), εκμηδενίζω (el) (ekmidenízo)
• Hungarian: elpusztít (hu), felemészt (hu)
• Italian: consumare (it), distruggere (it)
• Japanese: 破壊する (ja) (はかいする, hakai suru)
• Persian: نابود شدن
• Portuguese: consumir (pt)
• Russian: поглоща́ть (ru) (pogloščátʹ)
• Turkish: bitirmek (tr), tüketmek (tr), yoğaltmak (tr)
• Vietnamese: tàn phá (vi)
• Zazaki: bas kerden

waste away

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 日漸衰弱／日渐衰弱 (rìjiàn shuāiruò), 日益消瘦 (rìyì xiāoshòu)

• Dutch: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: kulua (fi), riutua (fi)

trade money for good or services

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 消費／消费 (zh) (xiāofèi)

• Dutch: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: kuluttaa (fi)

absorb information

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 看 (zh) (kàn), 閱讀／阅读 (zh) (yuèdú), 吸收 (zh) (xīshōu)

• Dutch: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: kuluttaa (fi)
• French: please add this translation if you can
• German: aufnehmen (de)
• Italian: assorbire (it)
• Russian: вбирать (ru) impf (vbiratʹ)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Zazaki: dayen

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Latin: ^{(please verify)} consumere (la)
• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} consumir (es)
• Turkish: ^{(please verify)} tüketmek (tr), ^{(please verify)} yoğaltmak (tr)

Anagrams

• Mounces, comunes, muscone

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.sym/

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

consume

1. inflection of consumer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• écumons

Galician

Verb

consume

1. second-person singular imperative of consumir

Latin

Verb

cōnsūme

1. second-person singular present active imperative of cōnsūmō

Portuguese

Verb

consume

1. inflection of consumar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Verb

consume

1. inflection of consumir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Verb

consume

1. inflection of consumar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative