usurp: [14] Etymologically, to usurp something is probably to ‘seize it for one’s own use’. The word comes via Old French usurper from Latin ūsūrpāre, which may have been formed from the noun ūsus ‘use’ (source of English use) and rapere ‘seize’ (source of English rape, rapture, ravish, etc). => rape, rapture, ravish, use