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Definition waste

Etymology 1

From Middle English waste (�a waste�, noun), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wast, waste (�a waste�), from Old Frankish *w?sti (�a waste�) and *w?stin, *w?stinna (�a waste, wasteland, desert�), from Proto-Germanic *w?st? (�a waste�), *w?stinj? (�a waste, wasteland�), from Proto-Indo-European *weh?st- (�empty, wasted�). Cognate with Old High German wuosti, wuasti (�a waste; > Modern German W�ste�), Old High German wuostinna (�a desert, waste�), Old English w?sten (�a waste, wasteland�). Non Germanic cognates include Latin Latin vastus (�waste, desert�).

Noun

waste (countable and uncountable, plural wastes)

Excess of material, useless by-products or damaged, unsaleable products; garbage; rubbish.
Excrement or urine.
A waste land; an uninhabited desolate region; a wilderness or desert.
A place that has been laid waste or destroyed.
A large tract of uncultivated land.
(historical) The part of the land of a manor (of whatever size) not used for cultivation or grazing, nowadays treated as common land.
A vast expanse of water.
A disused mine or part of one.
The action or progress of wasting; extravagant consumption or ineffectual use.
Large abundance of something, specifically without it being used.
Gradual loss or decay.
A decaying of the body by disease; wasting away.
(rare) Destruction or devastation caused by war or natural disasters; See "to lay waste"
(law) A cause of action which may be brought by the owner of a future interest in property against the current owner of that property to prevent the current owner from degrading the value or character of the property, either intentionally or through neglect.
(geology) Material derived by mechanical and chemical erosion from the land, carried by streams to the sea.

Etymology 2

From Middle English waste (�waste�, adjective), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French wast (�waste�), from Old Frankish *wuasti, *wuosti (�waste, empty�), from Proto-Germanic *w?stijaz (�wasted, abandoned, empty�), from Proto-Indo-European *w?sto- (�empty, wasted�). Cognate with Old High German wuosti, wuasti (�waste, empty�), Old Saxon w?sti (�desolate�), Old English w?ste (�waste, barren, desolate, empty�).

Adjective

waste (comparative more waste, superlative most waste)

(now rare) Uncultivated, uninhabited.
Barren; desert.
Rejected as being defective; eliminated as being worthless; produced in excess.
Superfluous; needless.
Dismal; gloomy; cheerless.
Unfortunate; disappointing. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Etymology 3

From Middle English wasten (�to waste, lay waste�), from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French waster (�to waste, devastate�) (compare also the variant gaster and French g�ter from a related Old French word); the Anglo-Norman form waster was either from Old Frankish *wuastan, *wuostan, *wuostjan (�to lay waste, devastate�), from Proto-Germanic *w?stijan? (�to waste�), from Proto-Indo-European *w?sto- (�empty, wasted�), or alternatively from Latin vast?re, present active infinitive of vast? and influenced by the Frankish; the English word was assisted by similarity to native Middle English westen ("to waste"; > English weest). Cognate with Old High German wuostan, wuastan, wuostjan (�to waste�) (Modern German w�sten), Old English w?stan (�to lay waste, ravage�).

Verb

waste (third-person singular simple present wastes, present participle wasting, simple past and past participle wasted)

(transitive) to devastate, destroy
(transitive) To squander (money or resources) uselessly; to spend (time) idly.
(transitive, slang) To kill; to murder.
(transitive) To wear away by degrees; to impair gradually; to diminish by constant loss; to use up; to consume; to spend; to wear out.
(intransitive) Gradually lose weight, weaken, become frail.
(intransitive) To be diminished; to lose bulk, substance, strength, value etc. gradually.
(law) To damage, impair, or injure (an estate, etc.) voluntarily, or by allowing the buildings, fences, etc., to fall into decay.