multiple-use
|mul-ti-ple-use|
🇺🇸
/ˈmʌltəpəlˌjuːs/
🇬🇧
/ˈmʌltɪpəlˌjuːs/
suitable for many purposes / reusable
Etymology
'multiple-use' is a compound of 'multiple' and 'use'. 'Multiple' originates from Latin, specifically from 'multiplex' (from 'multi-' meaning 'many' and a root related to 'fold' or 'times'), and 'use' originates from Old French 'user' and ultimately Latin 'uti/usus' meaning 'to use' or 'use'.
'multiple' entered English via Middle French/Latin influence (from Latin 'multiplex'), while 'use' developed from Old French 'user' and Latin 'uti/usus'; the compound 'multiple-use' is a modern English coinage formed by joining the adjective 'multiple' and the noun 'use' to describe items or purposes that are many or repeated.
Originally the elements meant 'many/fold' (multiple) and 'to employ' (use); combined in modern English they specifically denote suitability for many purposes or repeated use rather than any other separate historical senses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an item intended to be used for more than one purpose or more than once (a multiple-use product).
The company markets several multiple-uses, including a bag that converts into a backpack.
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Adjective 1
designed or suitable to be used more than once or for several different purposes (i.e., serving multiple functions).
We bought a multiple-use container that works for food storage, freezing, and reheating.
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Last updated: 2026/01/05 01:31