To consume an amount of fuel, energy, or time means to use it up. Some of the most efficient refrigerators consume 70 percent less electricity than traditional models
engage fully; "The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy" serve oneself to, or consume regularly; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee" use up (resources or materials); "this car consumes a lot of gas"; "We exhausted our savings"; "They run through 20 bottles of wine a week" spend extravagantly; "waste not, want not" destroy completely; "The fire consumed the building
[ k&n-'süm ] (verb.) 14th century. Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French consumer, from Latin consumere, from com- + sumere to take up, take, from sub- up + emere to take; more at SUB-, REDEEM.