A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1637
[0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0]
Waster, Waistour, n. Also: wasto(u)r(e, waister, vaister, -our, uaistoure, westar, -our, weaster, -or, woistrour. [ME and e.m.E. wastour(e (both 1352), wastere (Wyclif), wastowre (Prompt. Parv.), waster (1508), AF wastere, -our.]
1. A destroyer (of something).a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii 791.
That … Modyr of pite … Confowrt of wrech, waster of syn
2. One who wastes wealth, resources, etc., a squanderer; hence, a worthless person, a good-for-nothing. Also attrib. and proverb.(a) c1420 Wynt. v 5393.
The emprys, hys wyff … Reprowyd, and cald hym a wastore That swa dystroyid the tresore [C. wastoure, W. waistour] Off the empyre 1596 Dalr. I 279/7.
He was a rank wastour, and throw fuilhardines wraiked his hail realme 1609 Ellon Presb. 80.
[The minister … affirmed the said Thomas to be a] cruell and barbarous striker of his wyf, a drunkard, ane waster [etc.](b) c1420 Wynt. v 5393 (W) (see (a) above). c1460 Wisdom of Solomon (STS) 139.
Hyme thocht it was na visdome till a wysman till leif to a full vaistour al thai gudly revmys & possessions that he had … conquest and gaderit 1533 Boece 185a.
Athirco … vsing cumpany of riotouris, waistouris, menstralis, piparis, dansaris 1543 Elgin Rec. I 78.
The said Megott is ane inordinat delapedar and vaister of hir said husbandis guidis a1568 Bannatyne MS 140a/24.
Wa worth the waistour wirriar of lyce 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 172/1.
Be … moderate in youre raiment nather ouer superfluouse lyke a deboshed uaistoure, nor ouer base lyke a miserabill pedder 1599 Aberd. B. Rec. II 203.
Accusit … for a commoun nicht walker, drunkart, playing at cartis and dyce, and a waistour 1630 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 437.
Prince William, the spendthrift, was so prodigall and so great a waister that he spent and consumed all these his glorious titles(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xiv 17.
So mony maisteris, so mony guckit clerkis, So mony westaris [BD westouris] to God and all his warkis 1569 Fam. Rose 250.
Our forster … can nocht gwdlie await daylie vpon the cwttaris, westaris, and distroyaris of our saidis wodis a1585 Maitland in Maitland Quarto MS 75/32.
Sum may be westouris and mak quyte of all 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. I 177.
From hence furthe the said Walter did never strik his wyff, nather yit onis fund fault with hir … althocht scho wes ane westour(d) 1460 Hay Alex. 10090.
Hald na tulȝeouris in thi cumpaney … Na fenȝeitt men na woistrouris na learis(e) 1595 Davidson Three Reformers 111.
Of whome ane … reaked him a rebegeastor, Calling him many warlds weastor 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Georgics ii 472.
Exiguoque adsueta iuventus, not weastersattrib. c1460 Wisdom of Solomon (STS) 146.
A wantone vaistour ydill man sal dispone and waist al thai gudis 1596 Misc. Maitl. C. I 82.
The presbiterie findis Johne Graye to have callit Sir Bartilmo Simsone, ane wastourfallo, commoun theve, mansworne theve and lowne 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 446.
Adam's fools, his waster heirsproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 441.
Of weasters and divers … He hes brought his pack to a fit spead a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 503.
It is weill warit that wasters [MS waisters] want geir a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 161.
A quein and a can best for a waistour
