1611. Bible, 'Authorised Version,' Prov. xviii. 9. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
1619. Holland, Plutarch, 36. If Lucullus were not a waster and a delicate given to belly-cheare.
d. 1697. Aubrey, Lives, 'John Popham.' He left a vast estate to his son Sr Francis (I think ten thousand pounds per annum), he lived like a hog, but his son John was a great waster.
1818. Scott, Heart of Midlothian, xxviii. Ye will think I am turned waster for I wear clean hose and shoon every day.
1886. D. Telegraph, 20 Mar. Sending out not wastrels, paupers, and ne'er-do-wells, but capable mechanics and labourers, to Australia.
d. 1895. Huxley, Technical Education [Century]. The veriest waifs and wastrels of society.
3. (old).—A lawless thieving vagabond.
1342. Statue Edward III., an. reg. 5, c. xiv. Divers manslaughters, felonies, and robberies done by people that he called Roberdsmen, Wastours, and Drawbacches.
4. (common).—An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to gutter or 'waste': also thief (q.v.): cf. sense 3, supra,
5. (old).—A cudgel: spec. a wooden sword used for practice.
1593. Churchyard, Challenge, 84. And suddainly a stout cobler will lay down the waster, and yeeld to him that hath more practise.
1598. Florio, Worlde of Wordes, 95. Wasters or cudgels used in fence-schooles.
1598. Stowe, London, 70. The youthes of this citie also have used on holy dayes after evening prayer, at their maysters dores, to exercise their wasters and bucklers.
1602. Dekker, Honest Whore [Dodsley, Old Plays (Reed), iii. 410]. If o'er husbands their wives will needs be masters, We men will have a law to win 't at wasters.
1608. Harington, Brief View of the Church, 22. With a good waster he so mortified this old Adam of his son-in-law squire that he needed no other penance than this. Ibid., Epigrams, i. 16. A man and wife strove cant who should be masters, And having chang'd between them hous-hold speeches, The man in wrath brought forth a pair of wasters, And swore that these should prove who wore the breeches.
1619. Beaumont and Fletcher, Philaster, iv. Thou wouldst be loth to play half a dozen of venies at wasters, with a good fellow, for a broken head.
1621. Burton, Anat. Melan., 348. Or as they that play at wasters exercise themselves by a few cudgells to avoid an enemies blows.
. . . Mad Men of Gotham, 19. Then one took a waster in his hand, and gave him a dozen stripes, saying at every blow, Here, sirrah, take this for a reward, and hereafter mock us no more.
d. 1655. Adams, Works, 1. 42. As with wooden wasters men learn to play at the sharp, so practice in times of peace makes ready for the time of war.
6. (common).—A damaged manufactured article: also Wastrel.
1863. Ede [Campin, Mechan. Engin., 355[]. Had I not taken these precautions, which some are apt to think too much trouble, I should have had many a waster.
7. See Waister.
Waste-time, subs. phr. (old).—Idle,
useless, or trivial employment:
a play on pastime.
1662. Fuller, Worthies, 'Lincoln,' ii. 6. 'As mad as the Baiting Bull of Stamford.'. . . Some think that the Men must be mad as well as the Bull, who can take delight in so dangerous a Wast-time.
Wat, subs. (old sporting).—1. A
hare: cf. Philip = sparrow, Tom
= cat, Ned = donkey, etc.
c. 1470. Babees Book [E.E.T.S], 404. I wold my master were a watt & my boke a wyld Catt, & a brase of grehowndis in his toppe. I wold be glad for to se that!
