- waste
- I UK [weɪst] / US
noun
Word forms "waste":
singular waste plural wastes
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1)a) [singular/uncountable] the failure to use something valuable in an effective way, so that it does not produce the benefits that it couldAll this uneaten food – what a waste!
waste of:a campaign to increase efficiency and reduce waste in government departments
a waste of young talent
go to waste (= be spoiled or thrown away):There was growing opposition to the war and its senseless waste of life.
The cherries will just go to waste if we don't pick them soon.
b) [singular] a situation in which time, money, or energy is used without bringing any useful resulta waste of time/money/effort etc:It's a waste of time trying to get her to change her mind.
They said a public enquiry would just be a waste of taxpayers' money.
2) [countable/uncountable] the useless materials, substances, or parts that are left after you use somethingA bill was introduced to clean up toxic wastes from local factories.
a controversy over the storage of nuclear waste
human waste (= substances that your body gets rid of when you go to the toilet)
The process recycles domestic waste to produce fertilizer.
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Collocations:
Adjectives frequently used with waste
▪ domestic, hazardous, industrial, nuclear, radioactive, toxic3) [countable, usually plural] a large area of empty landthe desert's sandy wastes
•See:lay I
II UK [weɪst] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "waste":
present tense I/you/we/they waste he/she/it wastes present participle wasting past tense wasted past participle wasted
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1) to use more of something than is necessary, or to use it in a way that does not produce the best resultsA great deal of time was wasted arguing over the details of the contract.
waste something on something:There were accusations that the government was wasting public money.
Why do you waste your money on lottery tickets?
2) to fail to make effective use of something that is valuable and could help youwaste a chance/opportunity:It made him sick to see all that hard work wasted.
She had wasted the opportunity to talk to a Hollywood producer.
3)a) mainly American very informal to kill someoneb) to defeat someone easily•waste no time (in) doing something
— to do something immediatelyPhrasal verbs:Barbara wasted no time in spreading the gossip.
III UK [weɪst] / US adjective [only before noun] **
1)a) waste substances are what is left of something after the valuable parts of it have been usedb) used for storing or moving waste substances2) waste land or waste ground is land that is not being used or has not been built on, usually in a cityThe kids were skateboarding on a piece of waste ground.
English dictionary. 2014.
