Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wast(e, Waist(e, n. Also: vaste, wayst, vaist, waast, west, vest, uest, weast, wost. [ME and e.m.E. waste, weste (both c1200), wesste (Orm), wast (Cursor M.), waest (Hoccleve), waist (Durham Wills), OE wésten, OF wast var. of g(u)ast, L. vastus.]

1. a. An area of wild or sparsely populated land. b. An area of land, freq. adjacent to a building, not maintained in any way or built on or used for any particular purpose. Also comb.a., b. 1263 (1264–6) Exch. R. I 14.]
[Recognita fuit … pro vasta domini regis a1400 Leg. S. xvii 21.
Hapnyt Martha in that vod thare To teche & kene Goddis layre, & in that vaste scho fand a tovne, That nov is callit Terrascone a1400 Leg. S. xviii 998.
Gres anerly, Sik as I fand, has bene myn fud In thus waste quhare I ȝud 1583–4 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 83.
Ane multitude of unfrie craftismen … occupyand all kynd of wastis ewest this burc'h 1591 Glasgow Prot. X 52.
Ane tenement, with ane wast, bak and foir, with yard, orcheart, and twa rigis of land passand thairfra 1682 Cramond Kirk S. II 30 Aug.
Drylaw offerred ane hundreth marks for the wast upon the east end of the kirk, & to give convenient doore through the samyn to the kirk(b) a1500 Seven S. 73.
I counsall ȝow He be nocht techit in this cite … Bot erar owtwith in a fair waist A grene a myle of at the mast And thar to big ane hall of stane 1538–9 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 93.
[They] granttis to by the waist … liand in swyftis wynde quhair thair fische merkatt is now sett … that the fische mercatt may be continewit thairupoun … and the said Jhonne to resing his said waist ad remanentiam with chartour gevin thairupoun es efferis 1540–1 Edinb. B. Rec. II 104.
All … personis that hes ony landis biggings and waistis vpoun the west syde of Leith Wynde, that thai … big and repare … thair saidis waistis and ruynous housis … or ellis sell the samin to vtheris to be biggit 1548 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XXXIX 53.
David Maxwell tenement nixt that samin vaist 1550 Glasgow Prot. I 18.
The peis waist, lyand on the eist syide of the clois 1558 Glasgow Prot. II 58.
Johne Crawfurde … haifand the haile gavill at the sowtht ende of Cuthtbert Herbisouneis pece waist pertenynge to hym heritabile in propirtie … the saidis Cuthtbert can nocht haif closure at the sowtht ende of his waist quhilk he intendis to bige, without he haif tollerance of the said Johne 1567 Liber Dryburgh 404.
Item waist of the walk myll of Driburgh liij s. iiij d. 1572 Canongate Ct. Bk. 358.
The bak waist of the said tenement discendand fra the foirland thairof on the west to [etc.] 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX 630.
No merchandice salbe brocht out of ather kingdome into the other by land bot by the ordinarie wayes … so that, gif ony merchant sall transport any guidis by the waistis, the same is to be escheated unto us 1612 Conv. Burghs II 345.
Rentall … Bessie Cowper for hir yaird and waist befor hir hous vij s. 1641 Acts V 462/2.
That tenement of land bake and foire wnder and above biggit … and waist with cloise ȝaird and pertinents(c) 1662 Highland P. III 13.
The yong man … convoyed her till the foot of the broad waastcomb. 1625–6 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 333.
The deyne of gild … to have ane cair to keip the calsay cleine and to caus the biggeris cary away thair red in dew tyme … that the red be not cast in ower the breais bot in waysthollis at the clos futtis

2. A cavity, a hole. a. Caused by the removal or loss of a tooth. b. In ground or ? a further example of 1b above. c. The area in a mine from which coal has been extracted.a. 15.. Sym & Bruder 122.
‘Abyd,’ quod the leich, ‘I se a waist, His wrangtwth is in wanting’b. 1538 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 89.
That the red besyde James Makgill be removit with all diligence vpoun the townis expenssis to fulfill the waistis at the West Portc. 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 272.
The coal of this course was really wrought and is yet visible in its waste 1681 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 11 June.
For reding the waist for aire(b) 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 53.
For reding the west for the minde £5 12 s. … for beireing red from the uest 13 s. 4 d. 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 61.
For reding the old vests £2 8 s.

3. Waste material, debris, refuse resulting from manufacture, misuse, etc. 1673 Mint Melting Journals 2a.
In chissell … , in filings … , in heads … In lignots … , in heads … , waste 1678 Mint Melting Journals 9b.
What is in the pott with weast of the former meltingsproverb. 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. Prov. No. 100.
Haiste maketh waiste

4. In waste, in vain, to no effect. a1400 Leg. S. xliv 280.
Bot al ves in wast thai wrocht ?1438 Alex. ii 6598.
It is all in waist; for na thing Will I haue peax with ȝone king c1420 Ratis R. 196.
Thar is ane-vthir taist Suld nocht dispendit be in waist. That is the office of thi tunge c1460 Thewis Wysmen 446.
Thai do thare dedis al in haist And mekile trawell makis in vaist c1475 Wall. vi 916.
Wallace said, ‘In waist is that trawaill’ a1500 Prestis of Peblis 381.
Thay … prayit God with words not in waist To send them wit down be the halie Gaist 1513 Doug. v viii 24.
Thir hardy kempys al in waist leyt draw, Athir at other, mony rowtis grete 1559 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 268.
Thair labouris wes in waist

5. A waste of time or effort. a1500 Colk. Sow Prol. 34.
The lyfe is gone the los lesting is lost The begynnyng thay say was bot a wost

6. Damage or destruction of property by a tenant which causes harm to the inheritance. [Chiefly in Eng. Law.] 1491 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 62.
The said half croft with the pertinentis frely raturne … to wse and utilite of the priour and convent … but fraud or gile for outin ony process of the courtis of preving of waistis, wardis, or dwyms thairupon

7. Wear and tear through use, decay; the cost incurred through wear and tear, etc. b. To ga west, see West adv. b. 1683 New Mills Manuf. 55.
For wast of cords and wheills [3 s.] … for west upon cords and wheels [3 s.] 1674 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 2 Nov.
That they might be frie in thar personall estaites of all wast, skaith and expenses