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used to meaning

EN[juːs(t).tu]
US
  • Verb
    1. (temporal location) Formerly, and habitually or repeatedly, but possibly no longer.
      1. I used to be undecided, but now I’m not so sure.  I used to like that band and I still do.   I used to know a guy from the UK who pronounced "mother" without the "r".   It used to be me, sitting in that chair.   There used to be open fields here. Now it's a shopping mall. ‎
  • Adjective
    1. IDI (with noun phrase) Accustomed to, tolerant or accepting of.
      1. I am used to cleaning up other people’s mess.  I became used to his ways. ‎
  • More Examples
    1. Used in the Middle of Sentence
      • A small hacksaw was used to formatize rock specimens.
      • There, a small probe and dissecting microscope were used to isolate diplectanids from the gills or sediment.
      • Toyota used to be a company with foresight, always ready to take action, but now they have fallen very far behind the curve.
    2. Used in the Ending of Sentence
      • Editors of newspapers allow more vulgarisms to go to print today than they used to.

Meaning of used to for the defined word.

Grammatically, this idiom "used to" is a phrase, more specifically, a non-constituent and a phrasal verb. It's also an adjective, more specifically, an uncomparable adjective. It's also an adverb, more specifically, a time adverb. It's also a verb, more specifically, a phrasal verb.
  • Part-of-Speech Hierarchy
    1. Phrases
      • Non-constituents
        • Phrasal verbs
          • Phrasal verbs with particle (to)
        • Adjectives
          • Uncomparable adjectives
          • Adverbs
            • Time adverbs
              • Temporal location adverbs
            • Verbs
              • Phrasal verbs
                • Phrasal verbs with particle (to)
            Definiteness: Level 9
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            Definite    ➨     Versatile

            Other Vocabulary

            Look-Alike Words
            1. en see to
            2. en used up
            3. en sedate
            4. en use up
            5. en set-to
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