1.  consume(v = verb.consumption) devour, down, go through - eat immoderately; "Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal"
is one way to eat
Sample sentences: They consume more bread

2.  consume(v = verb.consumption) have, ingest, take, take in - serve oneself to, or consume regularly; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee"
Antonym: abstain
Derived forms noun consumer₁, noun consumption₁, adjective consumptive₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

3.  consume(v = verb.consumption) squander, ware, waste - spend extravagantly; "waste not, want not"
is one way to drop, expend, spend
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

4.  consume(v = verb.contact) - destroy completely; "The fire consumed the building"
is one way to destroy, ruin
Sample sentences: Something ----s something

5.  consume(v = verb.consumption) deplete, eat, eat up, exhaust, run through, use up, wipe out - 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"
is one way to drop, expend, spend
Derived forms adjective consumable₁, adjective consumptive₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

6.  consume(v = verb.cognition) - engage fully; "The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy"
is one way to absorb, engage, engross, occupy
Sample sentences: Something ----s somebody; Something ----s something

   To destroy, as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire; to use up; to expend; to waste; to burn up; to eat up; to devour. [1913 Webster]
"If he were putting to my house the brand
That shall consume it." [1913 Webster]
"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume." [1913 Webster]
"Let me alone . . . that I may consume them."

   To waste away slowly. [1913 Webster]
"Therefore, let Benedick, like covered fire,
Consume away in sighs." [1913 Webster]

consume, v.tr.
1 eat or drink.
2 completely destroy; reduce to nothing or to tiny particles (fire consumed the building).
3 (as consumed adj.) possessed by or entirely taken up (foll. by with : consumed with rage).
4 use up (time, energy, etc.).

Derivative:
consumingly adv.

Etymology:
ME f. L consumere (as com-, sumere sumpt- take up): partly through F consumer

VB  spend, expend, use, consume, swallow up, exhaust, impoverish, spill, drain, empty, disperse, cast away, fool away, muddle away, throw away, fling away, fritter away, burn the candle at both ends, waste, squander, waste its sweetness on the desert air, cast one's bread upon the waters, cast pearls before swine, employ a steam engine to crack a nut, waste powder and shot, break a butterfly on a wheel, labor in vain, cut blocks with a razor, pour water into a sieve, leak, run to waste, ebb, melt away, run dry, dry up.

VB  use, make use of, employ, put to use, put in action, put in operation, put in practice, set in motion, set to work, ply, work, wield, handle, manipulate, play, play off, exert, exercise, practice, avail oneself of, profit by, resort to, have recourse to, recur to, take betake oneself to, take up with, take advantage of, lay one's hands on, try, render useful, mold, turn to account, turn to use, convert to use, utilize, work up, call into play, bring into play, put into requisition, call forth, draw forth, press into service, enlist into the service, bring to bear upon, devote, dedicate, consecrate, apply, adhibit, dispose of, make a handle of, make a cat's-paw of, fall back upon, make a shift with, make the most of, make the best of, use up, swallow up, consume, absorb, expend, tax, task, wear, put to task.

VB  be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.