ref·use¹ / riˈfyoōz/ • v. [intr.] indicate or show that one is not willing to do something: I refused to answer.| [intr.] he was severely beaten when he refused. ∎  [tr.] indicate that one is not willing to accept or grant (something offered or requested): she refused a cigarette| the old lady was refused admission to four hospitals. ∎ inf. (of a thing) fail to perform a required action: the car refused to start. ∎  [tr.] decline to accept an offer of marriage from (someone): he's so conceited he'd never believe anyone would refuse him. ∎  [tr.] (of a horse) stop short or run alongside (a fence or other obstacle) instead of jumping it.DERIVATIVES: re·fus·er n.ref·use² / ˈrefˌyoōs; -ˌyoōz/ • n. matter thrown away or rejected as worthless; trash: heaps of refuse | refuse collection.

refuse †avoid; decline to accept or to do a thing; †renounce XIV; decline to grant XVI. — (O)F. refuser — Rom. *refūsāre, prob. alt. of L. recūsāre refuse, after refūtāre REFUTE.
Hence refusal (-AL2) XV. So refuse sb. rejected matter. XV. perh. — OF. refusé, pp. of refuser.