† wastyadj.1n.
Obsolete.
A. adj.1
1.
a. Desolate, desert.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > landscape > wild or uncultivated land > [adjective]
westeeOE
wildc893
wastyc1230
wastec1290
untilled1297
void1398
wilsomea1400
desolate1413
wastablea1450
unlaboured1474
untilthed1495
spare1508
unmanured1541
unculted1548
uncultured1555
Hyrcan1567
untoiled1578
manureless1595
griggy1597
Wealdish1598
Hyrcanian1600
unwrought1600
wealy1601
uncultived1605
incult1624
unmanaged1634
incultivateda1657
uncultivate1659
uncultivated1684
unreclaimed1753
wildered1810
irreclaimed1814
natural1827
feral1882
c1230 Hali Meid. (Titus) 43 And hwat ȝif ha beoð þe wone, þat tu..schalt greni godles inwið wasti wahes [Bodley MS. westi wahes].
c1480 (a1400) St. Blaise 37 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 362 Þare in-to [a] wasty stede heremytis lyf wel lang he lede.
1599 A. Hume Epist. to G. Montcrieff in Hymnes sig. H1v Of barrain Syrt, and wastie Scythia.
b. wasty wanes, a desolate place of habitation; also, a spacious place.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > lack of social communication or relations > retirement or seclusion > secluded place or place of seclusion > [noun] > desolate place of habitation
wasty wanesc1400
c1400 Sc. Trojan War ii. 2444 It was a fair rowme wasty wones.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 149 First of all in dance wes Pryd, With bair wyld bak and bonet on syd, Lyk to mak vaistie wanis.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid xii. viii. 6 Alhaill the barnage flokkis furth atanis, Left voyd the tovn and strenth with waisty wanis.
2. Extravagant in upkeep.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > management of money > expenditure > [adjective] > involving great or excessive expenditure
dear1044
chargeous138.
wastyc1380
dear-boughtc1384
costlewa1387
costlya1425
costy?c1430
costfulc1450
costablea1475
chargeable1480
sumptuous1485
chargeful1529
deep1608
tributary1632
burdenablec1650
expensivea1661
consumptive1753
capital-intensive1907
c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 129 Þei han many grete houses, costlewe & wasty.
B. n.
A desert place.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > landscape > wild or uncultivated land > [noun]
westerneOE
weste landOE
wastinea1175
westec1175
wastec1200
wildernc1200
wildernessc1200
wildernessc1230
warlottc1290
forestc1320
wastyc1325
deserta1398
wastern?a1400
wildnessa1513
the wilds of1600
vastness1605
vastacy1607
roughet1616
wild1637
wildland1686
bush1780
wastage1823
mesquite1834
wasteland1887
mulga1896
virgin bush1905
boondock1944
boonies1954
virgin land1955
c1325 Metr. Hom. 148 An ermyt..That woned in wasti bi him an.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1923; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
wastyadj.2
/ˈweɪsti/ 1. Liable to waste from deterioration.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > condition of matter > bad condition of matter > [adjective] > by loss of material or wasted > liable to wastage
wastable1436
wastive1756
wasty1904
1904 Westm. Gaz. 26 Sept. 7/2 Pineapples from the Azores are ‘wasty’, and sell from 6d. to 3s. 6d. each, but they are not of good quality.
1905 Westm. Gaz. 6 July 12/1 The rain has ruined 50 per cent of the strawberries on the plants... Tons of soft wasty berries have been marketed and sold at any price obtainable.
2. U.S. ‘Resembling cotton-waste’ ( Cent. Dict.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > thread or yarn > [adjective] > cotton
wasty1886
1886 U.S. Consular Rep. No. lxii. 470 The wool becomes impoverished on account of the heat and dust, and is very tender, with a dry, wasty top.
1888 U.S. Consular Rep. No. lxii. 389 The wools..are..dry and wasty.
3. Wasteful.
ΚΠ
1839 J. K. Townsend Narr. Journey Rocky Mts. vii. 238 We have now abandoned the ‘wasty ways’ which so disgraced us when game was abundant.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1923; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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adj.1n.c1230
adj.21839