wasten
English edit
Etymology edit
From waste (“empty, barren, dejected, dismal”, adjective) + -en.
Verb edit
wasten (third-person singular simple present wastens, present participle wastening, simple past and past participle wastened)
- (transitive, intransitive) To make or become waste (i.e. barren, dejected, dismal, feeble, or sickly) or wasted
- 1865, John Stock (Vicar of Finchingfield, Essex.), An Exposition of the First Epistle General of St. John.:
- It is our wisdom to master this wastening incredulity: to overcome unbelief, by faith; and so the more easily this present world; making light of its permitted trials, and sitting loose to its possessions.
- 1908, original 1613-1614, The Publications of the Yorkshire Parish Register Society, volume 33, page 203:
- […] Thomas s. of Chr: Clifton of Clifton & Will'm sonne of Robert Miller of Leedes lost in the snow the 8t of Februarie & not found till then & Clifto's child strangly wastened all saveing a very few bones thothr whole & fresh […]
- 1920, Lady Augusta Gregory, A Book of Saints and Wonders:
- And there are seven wax tapers in the quire" he said "that have never been lighted by any man's hand, and that bum day and night at every hour of prayers and that have never wastened or lessened through these fourscore years."
- 1962, Evidence, numbers 5-8, page 83:
- […] do you love me, Mabel?
not a pennysworth, Joe
troves I lost I never looked for: cracked
fountain pens that stained my fingers wastened
by irreconcilable degrees into the dust.
- 1980, Nancy Lenz Harvey, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, page 118:
- Wolsey wastened no moment in responding. In all diplomatic courtesy, he confirmed Henry's commitment to Francis and his willingness to meet with Charles.
- 2015, Oliver Lockewell, Behind The Mirror: Fright Night Flash Fiction:
- Not a second was to be wastened when your parent sends you on an errand or some chore.
Synonyms edit
Anagrams edit
Dutch edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
wasten
- inflection of wassen:
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Anglo-Norman waster (Parisien guaster), from Latin vāstō, with influence from Frankish *wōstijan; equivalent to wast (“desolate”) + -en (infinitival suffix). Compare westen (“to devastate”).
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
wasten (third-person singular simple present wasteth, present participle wastende, wastynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle wasted)
- To ruin or damage; to cause damage to:
- To destroy; to utterly consume or eliminate:
- To utilise or expend (resources or supplies):
- To weaken; to become less strong or powerful.
- To dissolve or evanesce; to become disintegrated.
- (figurative, rare) To violate or interrupt.
Conjugation edit
Conjugation of wasten (weak in -ed)
1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Descendants edit
References edit
- “wā̆sten, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.