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I'm struggling to find a concise one-word verb (for a paper title) that means "to make use of". The context is that I have a material—let's call it "Thulium"—that people don't think is very useful. I'm writing a paper that discusses how Thulium can be quite useful.

I would prefer the title to be of the form "[verb] ing Thulium".

I have thought of the following:

  • "Leveraging Thulium" (sounds too mechanical and is clichéd in my area)
  • "Harnessing Thulium" (refers too much to controlling, not enough to making use of; plus since my Thulium is quite boring, it sounds a bit like "Harnessing Grass")
  • "Consuming Thulium" (doesn't clarify a benefit)
  • "Exploiting Thulium" ("exploiting" has too many negative connotations)

Any other suggestions?

Ideally the verb should convey a sense of excitement about using Thulium.

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  • 28
    Utilizing Thullium.
    – Peter Shor
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 15:51
  • 22
    I propose using Thullium.
    – tchrist ♦
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 15:52
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    Going Thuliam! can work as a paper title too. If we can go green and go nuclear, I think we also can go Thuliam.
    – Damkerng T.
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 18:00
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    You know that thulium is an element, yes?
    – ErikE
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 0:51
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    Just make sure you know what you're doing by restricting yourself to "[verb]ing Thulium" titles. Something like "Uses of Thulium" or "Practical Uses of Thulium" or "The Many Uses of Thulium" or so on (depending on the precise sentiment you want to convey) could be just as good or better.
    – David Z
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 5:10

24 Answers 24

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All your examples could come from embracing Thulium, although it might be a little tenuous for your needs. The best word, as others have said, is probably "Utilise", but I share your aversion to it.

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  • I think this is my favourite so far! Though "utilise" is probably the best literal answer for the question so far, I think "embrace" best ... erm ... embraces the spirit of the question.
    – badroit
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 16:36
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    Personally, I think utilize is quite over-used and try to stay away from it except as part of terms like "CPU utilization" ...
    – SamB
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 20:39
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You can't get much more concise than "Use"

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  • 3
    Hehe :-) . Or nothing at all, as in "Thulium substitution in [something]" :-)
    – Carl Witthoft
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 17:55
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I'm going to propose a slightly different answer, something a little outside of the box.

You note in your question that people don't think the material is very useful. Perhaps you want to convey that people should give it a second chance.

How about redeeming or reconciling or reconsidering Thulium?

I really like, as another user has posted, embracing thulium. This (maybe?) comes a little closer to the "sense of excitement" you want more than the other words I have listed, but it still suggests that people need to accept thulium.

Rediscovering thulium also comes to mind. Discovery usually is accompanied by excitement.

This might not be exactly what you were looking for, but I'm trying to approach your question from a different angle. I hope it helps.

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    Indeed it helps, thanks! My preference thus far is also for "embracing".
    – badroit
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 16:37
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    "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Thulium" ;)
    – Rob Starling
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 11:20
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How about employing? Also, leveraging seems fine to me.

::edit:: To emphasize the fact that you're proposing something new and interesting, you might also go with discovering or even something more lofty: enlightening, mining, exploring, visualizing, etc.

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    None of enlightening, mining, exploring, or visualizing really convey making use of thulium, however.
    – choster
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 17:28
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    "Mining" (the uses of) X. "Exploring" (the uses of) X. "Visualizing" (the uses of) X.
    – dg99
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 17:35
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You might pick any of; "Utilizing" (wondrous) Thulium. "Using" (the might of) Thulium. "With" (the power of) Thulium. "Fortified" with Thulium. Also, "Leveraging" and "Exploiting" seem fine to me.

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    Thanks! ("Utilising" is logically a good fit, but I have a violent aversion to the word.)
    – badroit
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 15:58
  • @badroit Edited to add another one... how about "fortified"?
    – Elliott Frisch
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 16:13
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    Cheers for the suggestion, but "fortified" doesn't work so well in this context I think.
    – badroit
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 16:39
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    +1 Utilizing seems such an obvious answer to a word for Using, suprised this is not the top answer.
    – Michael Durrant
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 22:07
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    The usage note here has a good example of when replacing utilize with use potentially changes the meaning.
    – user28567
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 10:19
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Exploring Thuilium

It talks of possibilities other than the known ones.

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"You'll be surprised what happens when you use Thulium and this one weird trick"

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  • +1 because it's funny, -1 because it's not particularly helpful. Net score adjustment: 0.
    – fluffy
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 9:04
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Would "Unleashing Thulium" suffice?

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    Welcome to EL&U. You can improve this answer providing further expanation and other examples of its use; otherwise, it is not clear why to suddenly let a strong force, emotion, etc. be felt or have an effect (as OALD defines unleash) is suitable.
    – choster
    Commented Jan 10, 2014 at 22:08
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Not strictly a one-word answer, but I'll throw Capitalizing on Thulium into the mix.

This feels (to me) a bit like a situation where a one-word verb answers the question you asked but doesn't necessarily give you the best option.

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+1 for using. In the same line as "embracing", also consider "revisiting" or "reassessing", e.g.:

Revisiting Thulium: surprising uses in XYZ

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If it has to be one word, my vote goes to Applying Thulium and Enlisting Thulium

But personally I don't see that the [blank]ing Thulium formulation is necessarily better than other constructions, such as

  • Putting Thulium to Work
  • The Benefits of Thulium
  • The Thulium Supremacy
  • Thulium? I Hardly Know 'Um!
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Perhaps something like this could serve as the title of a paper:

"Harnessing the Untapped Potential of Thulium"

You want to indicate there is some sort of hidden, poorly understood or unexplored value in the material, and you are going to explain how to make use of it. What do you reckon? :)

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Exploring the use of Thulium

or

Making use of Thulium

or

Experimenting with Thulium

or

Trying, testing, tasting Thulim

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"Incorporating Thulium" or "Incorporating Thulium into Daily Life"

Try that on for size.

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How about "Unveiling" or "Reassessing"

You could also try permutations of "Thulium Explored" or "Thulium xxxxxxed"

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Along the lines of reconsidering a condemned material, you could consider:
Forgiving Thulium, or
Rehabilitating Thulium.

In the spirit of development:
Developing Thulium,
Maturing Thulium, or
Progressing Thulium.

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deploy

In the given context of bring in new and unconventional materials/ processes/ methods/ systems into (commercial) use, the conventional term is deployment.

New materials are developed/ discovered and passed on to industry for 'deployment' in production processes.

The more such 'induction' of the given material in production, the greater its chances of proving itself, and possible acceptance in the long run.

Instt Matls Sc & Engg:

While the development of materials is moving at a faster pace today than ever before, the current "time to market" from discovery to deployment of new materials is still too slow; it can take 20 years or more to develop, optimize, validate, and insert a material into service.

Department of Energy:

We are at the threshold of a new era where the integrated synthesis, characterization, and modeling of complex materials and chemical processes will transform our ability to understand and design new materials and chemistries with predictive power. In turn, this predictive capability will transform technological innovation by accelerating the development and deployment of new materials and processes in products and manufacturing.

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You could consider Imploring Thulium, I personally just like the sound of it.

Also Enlisting Thulium

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    Do you mean employing? To implore means to beg in earnest.
    – Jim
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 6:37
  • @Jim I do mean implore. I know the typical definition is to beg, but I do think it has a sense of emotion behind it besides just begging.
    – shadowjfaith
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 7:05
  • Ok, imploring it to do what? I think OP's question is looking for something along the lines of using
    – Jim
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 7:12
  • I can see an argument both ways which is why i said consider, but you don't have to implore to do anything. The sentence 'I implore you' is perfectly valid, and although it doesn't have an action to perform it still seems to get the emotion across.
    – shadowjfaith
    Commented Jan 11, 2014 at 7:21
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Factoring Thulium, Practical Thulium, Applying Thulium, Thulium Applied, Thulium unlocked, Why Thulium, Why use Thulium? (negative misdirection)= Thulium deficiencies, Insuffienct Thulium exploits, thulium: secrets lost, Thulium:

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As a fan of double entendre - especially when both meanings fit the bill - might I suggest "Redeeming Thulium"?

It expresses the sentiment of providing Thulium atonement for its lack of utility in the past, but also, as a bonus, provides Thulium with intrinsic worth; as in redeeming a coupon or gift certificate.

Quite beautifully, you actually have a triple entendre on your hands, if Thulium utility lies in helping truly inert things useful too (uses are seldom strictly an end - they are also a means). If Thulium serves as a catalyst for positive change - it IS the redeemer.

In this third meaning, Redeeming transcends the gerund or present participle verb form, born of the reader's prosaic and perhaps hasty interpretation of the title, into the realm of adjectives. In a finale fit for the scoffers, Thulium undergoes a mental metamorphosis from the caterpillar gorging itself on the petals of the garden, into the beautiful Monarch pollinating the flowers.

And if the irony is sadly lost on the dear reader, "Redeeming Thulium's" subtext of empath and forfeiture of singular perceptions will have at least planted the seed that one day will help the myopic reader's mind exit its own larval stage, so that it too may know beauty and freedom from the bondage of a rigid provincial view on everything they thought they knew.

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If I were to provide an answer that strictly complies with your question's restrictions, I'd propose "Introducing Thulium" as it means more things at once, like "start making use of...", or "make acquaintance with...".

But how about "Meet Thulium!" It may not quite be a [...]ing Thulium thing, but I feel it would relate more to your readers, as it engages them personally. Just like a call to action in PR ;)

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"Engaging Thulium" (Not sure if the implied perspective shift might work ?)

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To give you and your reader a sense of control of your element or product as well as intimating it has a unique use or uses the best single word with a touch of poetic license would be "Employing" Thulium.

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Utilize perfectly means “make use of”.

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