waster

plural wasters · alternative wastor · alternative wastour

1. Someone or something that wastes; someone who squanders or spends extravagantly.

   Synonyms: big spender, dingthrift, neve, overspender, prodigal, profligate, saprophage, scattergood

2. dialectalAn imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste.

   Synonyms: thief

3. obsoleteA 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. derogatoryslangAn 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

plural wasters

1. obsoletefencingA 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. ScotlandobsoleteA leister; a spear for catching fish.