refuse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun food that is discarded (as from a kitchen)
    scraps; food waste; garbage.
  2. verb show unwillingness towards
    decline.
    • he declined to join the group on a hike
  3. verb refuse to accept
    decline; pass up; turn down; reject.
    • He refused my offer of hospitality
  4. verb elude, especially in a baffling way
    resist; defy.
    • This behavior defies explanation
  5. verb refuse to let have
    deny.
    • She denies me every pleasure
    • he denies her her weekly allowance
  6. verb resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ
    resist; reject.
    • His body rejected the liver of the donor
  7. verb refuse entrance or membership
    turn away; turn down; reject.
    • They turned away hundreds of fans
    • Black people were often rejected by country clubs

WordNet

Re*fuse" transitive verb
Etymology
F. refuser, either from (assumed) LL. refusare to refuse, v. freq. of L. refundere to pour back, give back, restore (see Refund to repay), or. fr. L. recusare to decline, refuse cf. Accuse, Ruse), influenced by L. refutare to drive back, repel, refute. Cf. Refute.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Refused present participle & verbal noun Refusing
Definitions
  1. To deny, as a request, demand, invitation, or command; to decline to do or grant.
    That never yet refused your hest. Chaucer.
  2. (Mil.) To throw back, or cause to keep back (as the center, a wing, or a flank), out of the regular aligment when troops ar about to engage the enemy; as, to refuse the right wing while the left wing attacks.
  3. To decline to accept; to reject; to deny the request or petition of; as, to refuse a suitor.
    The cunning workman never doth refuse The meanest tool that he may chance to use. Herbert.
  4. To disown. Obs. "Refuse thy name." Shak.
Re*fuse" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To deny compliance; not to comply.
    Too proud to ask, too humble to refuse. Garth.
    If ye refuse . . . ye shall be devoured with the sword. Isa. i. 20.
Re*fuse" noun
Definitions
  1. Refusal. Obs. Fairfax.
Ref`use noun
Etymology
F. refus refusal, also, that which is refused. See Refuse to deny.
Definitions
  1. That which is refused or rejected as useless; waste or worthless matter. Syn. -- Dregs; sediment; scum; recrement; dross.
Ref"use adjective
Definitions
  1. Refused; rejected; hence; left as unworthy of acceptance; of no value; worthless.
    Everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 1. Sam. xv. 9.

Webster 1913