waste

waste1 [ weıst ] noun ***

1. ) singular or uncount the failure to use something valuable in an effective way, so that it does not produce the benefits that it could:

All this uneaten food what a waste!

a campaign to increase efficiency and reduce waste in government departments

waste of: a waste of young talent

There was growing opposition to the war and its senseless waste of life.

go to waste (=be spoiled or thrown away): The cherries will just go to waste if we don't pick them soon.

a ) singular a situation in which time, money, or energy is used without bringing any useful result:

a 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. ) count or uncount the useless materials, substances, or parts that are left after you use something:

A bill was introduced to clean up toxic wastes from local factories.

a controversy over the storage of nuclear waste near schools

human waste (=substances that your body gets rid of when you go to the toilet)

The process recycles domestic waste to produce fertilizer.

3. ) count usually plural a large area of empty land:

the desert's sandy wastes

a waste of space INFORMAL

an insulting way of referring to someone or something that is completely useless

=> LAY1

waste

waste 2 [ weıst ] verb transitive **

1. ) to use more of something than is necessary, or use it in a way that does not produce the best results:

A great deal of time was wasted arguing over the details of the contract.

There were accusations that the government was wasting resources that could be used to improve schools.

waste something on something: Why do you waste your money on lottery tickets?

2. ) to fail to make effective use of something that is valuable and could help you:

It made him sick to see all that hard work wasted.

waste a chance/opportunity: She had wasted the opportunity to talk to a Hollywood producer.

3. ) VERY INFORMAL to kill someone

a ) to defeat someone easily

be wasted on someone

if something is wasted on someone, they do not understand it or realize how good or valuable it is:

Don't give the smoked salmon to the children it'd just be wasted on them.

waste your breath MAINLY SPOKEN

used for telling someone not to try to persuade someone else, because they will never succeed:

Don't waste your breath arguing with him.

waste no time (in) doing something

to do something immediately

waste not, want not MAINLY SPOKEN

used for saying that people who do not waste things always have enough

,waste a`way phrasal verb intransitive

to gradually become thinner and weaker over a period of time, usually because of an illness

waste

waste 3 [ weıst ] adjective only before noun **

1. ) waste substances are what is left of something after the valuable parts of it have been used

a ) used for storing or moving waste substances

2. ) waste land or waste ground is land that is not being used or has not been built on, usually in a city:

The kids were skateboarding on a piece of waste ground.