usuage

usuage (countable and uncountable, plural usuages)

1. Obsolete form of usage.^[1]
   • 1643, William Prynne, “The Third Part of the Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes.”, in The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes: , London: Michael Sparke Senior, →OCLC, page 135:

     [O]ur King [...] Richard the firſt, taking the Biſhop of Beauvoys [Philip of Dreux] in France, his great Enemy, armed from top to toe, priſoner in the field; commanded him to be ſtrictly kept in priſon in his arms, and would by no means ſuffer him to put them off: for which hard uſuage he complained to the Pope, [...]

   • 1892, Frances Parthenope Verney, Memoirs of the Verney Family During the Civil War, page 344:

     The said T. T., in a loud and violent manner, and contrary to the custom & usuage of Parliment, in the Speaker's [ear], at the putting of a question about the militia, on 3rd Jan. 1641, standing neare the Speaker's chaire, cried " Baw!" to the great terror and affrightment of the Speaker and of the members of the House of Comons, and contrary to his duty and the trust reposed in him by his country.

   • 1648, The Kings Majesties Answer to the Paper Delivered in by the Reverend Divines Attending the Honourable Commissioners Concerning Church-Government, page 4:

     But when the government of Churches came into the hands of their Successours; the names were by common usuage (which is the best master of words) very soon appropriated, that use Episcopus to the Ecclesiasticall Government or Bishop of a diocese and a that of Presbyter to the ordinary Minister or Priests.

2. (engineering and services) consumption or utilisation
   • 1980, Electric Energy Conference 80, Institution of Engineers, Australia. National Committee on Electric Power Engineering, Electricity Supply Engineers Association of New South Wales, →ISBN, page 175:

     Domestic consumption averaged at about 50% and industrial consumption at about 30% of the total consumption showing predominance of household usuage. A better industrial usuage is unlikely to be achieved from rural electrification.

   • 1958, Norman Burns, "M-P PLANS AND PROJECTS", Merrill-Palmer Quarterly (1954-1958), vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 120–121. JSTOR

     On the validity of this slogan we do have some evidence; studies of library usuage indicate rather clearly that the library is not, in fact, the heart of the instructional program — that use of the library by students is mainly confined to assigned readings.