Wasting

Wasting
Waste Waste, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wasted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wasting}.] [OE. wasten, OF. waster, guaster, gaster, F. g[^a]ter to spoil, L. vastare to devastate, to lay waste, fr. vastus waste, desert, uncultivated, ravaged, vast, but influenced by a kindred German word; cf. OHG. wuosten, G. w["u]sten, AS. w[=e]stan. See {Waste}, a.] [1913 Webster] 1. To bring to ruin; to devastate; to desolate; to destroy. [1913 Webster]

Thou barren ground, whom winter's wrath hath wasted, Art made a mirror to behold my plight. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

The Tiber Insults our walls, and wastes our fruitful grounds. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

2. To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish by constant loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear out. [1913 Webster]

Until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. --Num. xiv. 33. [1913 Webster]

O, were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none! --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Here condemned To waste eternal days in woe and pain. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Wasted by such a course of life, the infirmities of age daily grew on him. --Robertson. [1913 Webster]

3. To spend unnecessarily or carelessly; to employ prodigally; to expend without valuable result; to apply to useless purposes; to lavish vainly; to squander; to cause to be lost; to destroy by scattering or injury. [1913 Webster]

The younger son gathered all together, and . . . wasted his substance with riotous living. --Luke xv. 13. [1913 Webster]

Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air. --Gray. [1913 Webster]

4. (Law) To damage, impair, or injure, as an estate, voluntarily, or by suffering the buildings, fences, etc., to go to decay. [1913 Webster]

Syn: To squander; dissipate; lavish; desolate. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Wasting — could also mean unefficient and/or uneffective consumption. See waste. In medical circles, wasting refers to the process by which a debilitating disease causes muscle and fat tissue to waste away. Wasting is sometimes referred to as acute… …   Wikipedia

  • Wasting — Wast ing, a. Causing waste; also, undergoing waste; diminishing; as, a wasting disease; a wasting fortune. [1913 Webster] {Wasting palsy} (Med.), progressive muscular atrophy. See under {Progressive}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wasting — [wās′tiŋ] adj. 1. desolating; destructive [a wasting war] 2. destructive to health [wasting disease] wastingly adv …   English World dictionary

  • wasting — index decadent, deleterious, fatal, waste Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • wasting — 1. SYN: emaciation. 2. Denoting a disease characterized by emaciation. salt w. inappropriately large renal excretion of salt despite the apparent need of the body to retain it. * * * wast·ing wā stiŋ …   Medical dictionary

  • wasting — wastingly, adv. wastingness, n. /way sting/, adj. 1. gradually reducing the fullness and strength of the body: a wasting disease. 2. laying waste; devastating; despoiling: the ravages of a wasting war. n. 3. Geol. See mass wasting. [1200 50; ME;… …   Universalium

  • wasting — wast|ing [ˈweıstıŋ] adj 1.) wasting disease/illness formal a disease that gradually makes you thinner and weaker 2.) wasting asset technical a property, business etc that is losing money ▪ The airline is clearly a wasting asset …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wasting — {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun Wasting is used after these nouns: ↑muscle {{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}} adj. Wasting is used with these nouns: ↑asset …   Collocations dictionary

  • wasting — adjective wasting disease a wasting disease is one that gradually makes you become thinner and weaker …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • wasting — un·wasting; wasting; …   English syllables

  • wasting — wast•ing [[t]ˈweɪ stɪŋ[/t]] adj. 1) gradually reducing the fullness and strength of the body: a wasting disease[/ex] 2) laying waste; devastating: a wasting war[/ex] • Etymology: 1200–50 wast′ing•ly, adv. wast′ing•ness, n …   From formal English to slang

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