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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WASTER, n.¹, v.² Also waister, weyster. Sc. forms and usages. [′westər. ′wəist-]

I. n. 1. An idler; an extravagant spender, a squanderer, spendthrift, profligate, ne'er-do-well. Now chiefly dial. in Eng. Also attrib.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 65:
Waster Wives, the warst of a'.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 149:
The witless waster is at her wit's end.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxviii.:
Ye will think I am turned waster, for I wear clean hose and shoon every day.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xlix.:
A hachel's slovenliness, and a waster's want.Fif. 1891 R. F. Murray Scarlet Gown 117:
Never had these halls of knowledge Welcomed waster half so wild!Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 23:
The bizniss ull no lest lang wui that waister o a son.

Derivs.: (1) wasteration, extravagance, profligacy; (2) wasterfu(l), -fow, prodigal, wasteful, extravagant (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 274; ne.Sc., m.Sc. 1973). Derivs. wasterfulike (wm.Sc. 1973), wasterfuness (Fif., Slg., w.Lth., wm. Sc., Wgt. 1973); adv. wasterfully; (3) wasterous, wasteful, extravagant; (4) wastrification, = (1); (5) wastry, -ie, adj., = (2) (Rxb. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1905 E.D.D.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1973).(1) Ayr. 1873 A. Aitken Poems 100:
He soon gar'd his father's auld mooly ha'f-crouns flee. [Chorus] Wasteration, wasteration, It was a wonnerfu' wasteration.(2) Dmf. 1822 Scots Mag. (May) 636:
O thou wasterfu' slut!Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxxii.:
Girzie, dinna be wasterfu', shake the spoon.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin vii.:
The sheers, wherewith he whankit them [strings] aff . . . greatly to my mither's horification, wha said it was “sae wasterfulike.”Ayr. 1891 H. Johnston Kilmallie I. 178:
The shepherd fares sumptuously and spends wasterfully.w.Lth. 1892 R. Steuart Legends 39:
On accoont o' wasterfu'ness, an' haudin' tae ‘the King owre the watter'.Kcb. 1903 Crockett Banner of Blue xxx.:
Baths, basins and siclike wasterfulness!Fif. 1909 R. Holman Char. Studies 25:
My certes, he's awfu' wasterfu' on boots.wm.Sc. 1932 J. Corrie A Man o' War 5:
Ye hae a fire on here that wad roast a bullock — damned wasterfu'ness.(3) Wgt. 1877 “Saxon” Gall. Gossip 160:
It's you wasterous cooks that get people's houses their bad names.(4) Edb. 1872 J. Smith Habbie & Madge 63:
Tobacco, drink, cards, dominoes, an' general wastrification.(5) Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 364:
To live wi' sic a wast'ry, braisant jade.Kcb. 1898 T. Murray Frae the Heather 39:
Thae wild, wastry ways I now heartily rue.

2. The overflow of water from a sluice. Combs. wasterboard, a wooden shutter controlling this; wasterwear, a sluice.Rnf. 1790 Session Papers, Corse v. Houstoun (12 Aug.):
Altering the original outlet at the bottom of the tail-lead, carrying it farther up the river, and putting a waster board in this new outlet, which he raised or lowered as suited his conveniency. . . . Mr Houstoun's offset or waster-wear, of seven feet nine inches wide.

3. A foreign body or imperfection in the wick of a candle, which causes it to gutter and waste, a “thief” (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 131, 1825 Jam.; Ags., w.Lth. 1973). Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1788 G. Wilson Masonic Songs 72:
Oft on the wick there hangs a waster, Which makes the candle burn the faster.Sc. 1838 Chambers's Jnl. (29 Dec.) 388:
He resolved to snuff the candle, at which he was somewhat startled to oberve an ominous waster or death-spale.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 23:
Snot that cannl; it's aa gaun ti creesh — there's a waister on't.

4. A person, animal or object that is of no further use, one who or which is done for, from decrepitude, disease, etc., a “goner” (I., n., em., sm.Sc., Rxb. 1973). Also in Eng. dial.Kcb. 1885 A. J. Armstrong Friend and Foe ii.:
Ye should hae weeded oot a' sic wasters as that.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 146:
I'm a weyster this time, Bawbee. I aye thocht that horse wud be the death o' me.Abd. 1892 Innes Rev. (Spring 1956) 20:
We had the Bible and the Proverbs, they'll be fairly wasters noo.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 23:
A doot it's a waister; it's aa gaen geite.

II. v. tr. To waste, squander. Only in Galt.Ayr. 1822 Galt Entail liv.:
After wastering a' my jointure.Ayr. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxiii.:
A bawbee that I saved out o' twopence that the laird sent me to waster on snuff for him.