refuse

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“
It seems that all the refuse was the perquisite of the cook and his subordinates in a regulated proportion, and the same in the bakery and other branches; but, as may be supposed, in these matters gross abuses were committed In the "Leisure Hour" for 1884 was printed a series of papers on "English Homes in the Olden Times."

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Definitions (31)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (6)

  1. transitive verb To indicate unwillingness to do, accept, give, or allow: She was refused admittance. He refused treatment.
  2. transitive verb To indicate unwillingness (to do something): refused to leave.
  3. transitive verb To decline to jump (an obstacle). Used of a horse.
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Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (5)

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Examples (50)

  • Adair was very much inclined to refuse, and shook his head to show that he would pay no more. —  The Three Commanders
  • They surely cannot refuse, and her life will be very varied and pleasant, visiting from house to house every three months, enjoying new pleasures, seeing new faces, making new friendships. —  Fairy Fingers A Novel
  • I do not see how he can refuse, and he is very indulgent; so that, whether Madeleine consents to return here, or not, we shall not be wholly parted Bertha did not suspect into what a fury her words were lashing the count, nor did she divine the machinations already at work within his perfidious spirit to defeat her kindly purpose CHAPTER X THE HUMBLE COMPANION Rapidly as Maurice travelled from Edinburgh to London, the distance seemed interminable to his impetuous spirit. —  Fairy Fingers A Novel
  • He had no power to refuse, and before he was well aware that he had moved, he found himself in the chariot. —  Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
  • FOOTNOTES 83] Assuaged their thirst 84] Cupboard LXIX BRER FOX'S FISH-TRAP The little boy wanted Uncle Remus to sing some more; but before the old man could either consent or refuse, the notes of a horn were heard in the distance. —  Nights With Uncle Remus
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

garbage ·  manure ·  waste ·  filth ·  debris ·  sewage ·  offal ·  slime ·  scrap ·  compost ·  sludge ·  dirt

Used in the same contextWord Family

refuse:   refused ·  refusing ·  refuses
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (6)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. Middle English refusen, from Old French refuser, from Vulgar Latin *refūsāre, probably blend of Latin recūsāre, to refuse; see recuse and Latin refūtāre, refute; see refute.
  2. Middle English, from Old French refus, rejection, refuse, from refuser, to refuse; see refuse1.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (4)

  1. from Middle English refusen, reffusen, from Old French refuser, renfuser, ranfuser, French refuser =Spanish rehusar =Portuguese refusar =Italian rifusare, refuse, deny, reject; origin uncertain; perhaps (1) from Late Latin *refusare, freq. of Latin refundere, past participle refusus, pour back, give back, restore (see refund, and cf. refuse); or (2) irreg. from Latin refutare, refuse (see refute), perhaps by confusion with recusare, refuse (see recuse); or (3) from Old French refus, refuse, leavings (see refuse).
  2. from Middle English refuse, from Old French refus, masculine, refuse, feminine, =Italian refuso, masculine, a refusal; from the verb: see refuse, v. Cf. refuse.
  3. from ME, refus, refuce, from Old French refus, reffus, repulse, refusal, rejection (faire refus de …, object to, refuse, à refus, so as to cause rejection, etre de refus, be refused, cerf de refus, a refuse stag, etc.), associated with the verb refuser, refuse, and prob. from Latin refusus, past participle of refundere, pour back, give back, restore: see refuse, refund. Some confusion may have existed with Old French refus, refugee, refus, refuit, refuse: see refuit, refute.
  4. from re- + fuse, v.
 

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/riˈfjuz/
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