Did anybody heard of this rule?

[Anonymous]

consume apparently means use up completely? i just thoguht it means 2 use 🤷‍♀️ "car consumes a lot of gas", "we consume too much sugar" , "An open container law prohibits people from consuming alcohol in public.". its the first time i heard of this nuance today

[SueShe]

That is not my understanding of the signification of the word "consume". Even the dictionary does not agree that to consume means to use up something completely, at least not when it comes to foods or drinks.

"Consuming alcohol" does not mean that you use the entire world's supply of alcohol or even an entire bottle. You drink a certain quantity but not everything.

A house that has been consumed by flames could mean that it has been totally destroyed by them.

There are differences in meaning, depending on how what is consumed.

Being a consumer simply means being a user.

[FreyaRed]

Most things don't disappear in nature they change just their shape. To consume means to transform.