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If I was to use or misuse an object that is intended to fulfil a certain purpose for another purpose. For example the purpose of a chair is to sit on. But I can stand on it too. Of course it remains to be chair. According to the answer to this question, the act of using it for another is called exaptation.

I expect there to be a word for any object that is used for another purpose. Any ideas? I'm thinking in the direction of a placeholder.

I feel that the word off-label that has been given as an answer to this question is not suitable to use for that chair while I stand on it.

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  • I think there has to be a simpler but better answer than the one given to the question that is not a duplicate to me. I will not call that chair off-label while I stand on it
    – Christiaan Westerbeek
    Jul 15, 2015 at 11:15
  • The word I would use does not appear in the answers to the "duplicate" question - in fact, it was in another question that was closed. A correct answer is: "I used the chair as an ERSATZ ladder." (Sorry, I don't know how to 'bold' or italicize for emphasis in the comment section.)
    – Oldbag
    Jul 15, 2015 at 11:29
  • Thanks. You helped me in the right direction. I may also call that chair a mock I guess. (To bold prefix and suffix the word with ** and for italic * It's called markdown)
    – Christiaan Westerbeek
    Jul 15, 2015 at 11:34
  • When a medicine turns out to be useful for some other purpose than the one it was tested for, that's called an "off-label use".
    – John Lawler
    Jul 15, 2015 at 15:58

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