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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

waster en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (UK) audio
  • /ˈweɪstə/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English wastere, waister, wastar, wastour, equivalent to waste + -er. Compare Anglo-Norman wastur, Old French gastëor.

Meanings

  1. Someone or something that wastes; someone who squanders or spends extravagantly.
  2. (dialectal) An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste.
  3. (obsolete) A destroyer or plunderer.
    • He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 18:9:
  4. An item that is spoiled during its manufacture.
    • Unless the cast was very hot indeed, the steel would refuse to ascend, and a great many wasters were caused thereby. 1895, Richard Smith-Casson, “Small Cast Steel Ingots”, in Transactions of the Iron and Steel Institute, volume 46, page 215:
  5. (derogatory, slang) An idle, worthless person; a loser.
    • I don't want a total waster and I'm definitely not looking for a hook-up, but I really do need an okay date. Someone normal. Someone I can introduce to family and friends […] 2024, Laura Carter, Fake It 'til You Make It:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
wastour alternative lexicographic
wasters Number=Plur lexicographic
wastor alternative lexicographic

Deriveds

time-waster · candle-waster · oxygen waster

Synonyms

big spender · unthrift · waster · saprophage · thief · slipthrift · profligate · prodigal · wastethrift · scattergood · overspender · spendthrift · slipstring · wastrel · splurger · squanderer · neve · spend-all · dingthrift · wastegood · sparkler · splurge

Translations (22)

nl verkwister (one that wastes) · ro risipitoare (one that wastes) · ota خرسز (imperfection in the wick) · hu pazarló (one that wastes) · fi haaskaaja (one that wastes) · fi tuhlaaja (one that wastes) · mi kaihau (one that wastes) · fi vahaa sulattava karren pala (imperfection in the wick) · pl marnotrawczyni (one that wastes) · pl marnotrawca (one that wastes) · fr gaspilleuse (one that wastes) · de Verschwenderin (one that wastes) · ro risipitor (one that wastes) · enm wastour (one that wastes) · es malgastador (one that wastes) · fi tuhlari (one that wastes) · fr gaspilleur (one that wastes) · mk ра́сипник (one that wastes) · bg разточител (one that wastes) · de Verschwender (one that wastes) · fi tuhontekijä (destroyer in Proverbs) · bg прахосник (one that wastes)

waster en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • (UK) audio
  • /ˈweɪstə/ (UK)

Etymology

Unknown

Meanings

  1. (obsolete) A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a foil.
    • Or, as they that play at wasters exercise themselves by a few cudgels how to avoid an enemy's blows, let us arm ourselves against all such violent incursions which may invade our minds. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 3, member 6:
  2. (Scotland, obsolete) A leister; a spear for catching fish.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
wasters Number=Plur lexicographic