consume+gradually
1eat — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. consume, devour, eat up, feed, fare; erode, corrode, wear, rust. See food, deterioration. II (Roget s IV) v. 1. [To take as food] Syn. consume, devour, bite, chew, swallow, dine, feed, feed on, have a …
2wear — wearer, n. /wair/, v., wore, worn, wearing, n. v.t. 1. to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like: to wear a coat; to wear a saber; to wear a disguise. 2. to have or use on the person… …
3waste — wastable, adj. wasteless, adj. /wayst/, v., wasted, wasting, n., adj. v.t. 1. to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste money; to waste words. 2. to fail or neglect to use: to …
4wear — [[t]wɛər[/t]] v. wore, worn, wear•ing, n. 1) to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, support, ornament, or the like: to wear a coat; to wear a wig[/ex] 2) to bear or have in one s aspect or appearance: to wear a smile[/ex] …
5waste — [c]/weɪst / (say wayst) verb (wasted, wasting) –verb (t) 1. to consume, spend, or employ uselessly or without adequate return; use to no avail; squander: to waste money; to waste time; to waste effort; to waste words. 2. to fail or neglect to use …
6waste — [[t]weɪst[/t]] v. wast•ed, wast•ing, n. adj. 1) to consume or use to no avail or profit; squander: to waste natural resources[/ex] 2) to fail or neglect to use 3) to destroy or consume gradually; wear away: waves wasting the rocky shore[/ex] 4)… …
7To wear away — Wear Wear, v. t. [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin… …
8To wear off — Wear Wear, v. t. [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin… …
9To wear on — Wear Wear, v. t. [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin… …
10To wear out — Wear Wear, v. t. [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin… …