1
a
: a sparsely settled or barren region : desert
b
: uncultivated land
c
: a broad and empty expanse (as of water)
3
a
: loss through breaking down of bodily tissue
b
: gradual loss or decrease by use, wear, or decay
4
a
: damaged, defective, or superfluous material produced by a manufacturing process: such as
(1)
: material rejected during a textile manufacturing process and used usually for wiping away dirt and oil
cotton waste
(2)
: scrap
(3)
: an unwanted by-product of a manufacturing process, chemical laboratory, or nuclear reactor
toxic waste
hazardous waste
nuclear waste
c
: material derived by mechanical and chemical weathering of the land and moved down sloping surfaces or carried by streams to the sea
wasted; wasting
1
: to lay waste
especially
: to damage or destroy gradually and progressively
reclaiming land wasted by strip-mining
3
: to wear away or diminish gradually : consume
4
a
: to spend or use carelessly : squander
waste valuable resources
b
: to allow to be used inefficiently or become dissipated
a writer wasting her talent
5
: kill
also
: to injure severely
1
: to lose weight, strength, or vitality
—often used with away
was wasting away from illness
2
a
: to become diminished in bulk or substance
b
: to become consumed
3
: to spend money or consume property extravagantly or improvidently
1
2
: being in a ruined or devastated condition
3
a
: discarded as worthless, defective, or of no use : refuse
waste material
b
: excreted from or stored in inert form in a living body as a by-product of vital activity
waste products
4
[waste entry 1]
: serving to conduct or hold refuse material
a waste barrel
specifically
: carrying off superfluous water
a waste drain
5
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share