Show Search Results Show Browse

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.

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 Leg. S. 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 Wisd. Sol. (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 Bann. 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
1630-1651 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 Maitl. Q. 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 weasters
attrib. c1460 Wisd. Sol. (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 heirs
proverb. 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

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Waster n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/waster>

48840

dost

Hide Advanced Search

Browse DOST:

    Loading...

Share: