The Greek apochresis (ἀπόχρησις) means 'use,' 'consumption,' or 'using up' — from apo (away, fully) and chraomai (to use). It appears in Colossians 2:22 in Paul's critique of human commandments that forbid touching or tasting physical things — rules that 'are all destined to perish with use.' Paul is addressing proto-Gnostic asceticism in Colossae.
Paul's use of apochresis in Colossians 2:22 cuts to the heart of legalism's futility. Human-invented religious rules about what to touch, taste, or handle belong to the category of things that 'perish in their use' — they are temporary, external, and ultimately powerless to transform the heart. True holiness is not achieved by an elaborate system of prohibitions but by being 'raised with Christ' and setting one's mind on 'things above' (Col 3:1-2). The ascetic regulations had 'an appearance of wisdom' (Col 2:23) — they looked spiritual — but they were anchored to perishable things. Religion that only prohibits cannot produce what only grace can give: a transformed heart.