waste: [12] The etymological notions underlying waste are ‘emptiness’ and ‘desolation’. Its main modern sense, ‘squander’, is a comparatively recent development, first recorded in English in the 14th century. Its ultimate source is Latin vāstus ‘empty’, which has also given English devastate and vast. From this was formed the verb vāstāre ‘devastate, lay waste’, which passed into English via Old Northern French waster. The derivative wastrel dates from the 16th century. => devastate, vast
waste (v.)
c. 1200, "devastate, ravage, ruin," from Anglo-French and Old North French waster "to waste, squander, spoil, ruin" (Old French gaster; Modern French gater), altered (by influence of Frankish *wostjan) from Latin vastare "lay waste," from vastus "empty, desolate, waste" (see vain). Related: wasted; wasting.
The Germanic word also existed in Old English as westan "to lay waste, ravage." Spanish gastar, Italian guastare also are from Germanic. Meaning "to lose strength or health; pine; weaken" is attested from c. 1300; the sense of "squander, spend or consume uselessly" is first recorded mid-14c.; meaning "to kill" is from 1964. Waste not, want not attested from 1778.
waste (n.)
c. 1200, "desolate regions," from Anglo-French and Old North French wast "waste, damage, destruction; wasteland, moor" (Old French gast), from Latin vastum, neuter of vastus "waste" (see waste (v.)).
Replaced or merged with Old English westen, woesten "a desert, wilderness," from the Latin word. Meanings "consumption, depletion," also "useless expenditure" are from c. 1300; sense of "refuse matter" is attested from c. 1400. Waste basket first recorded 1850.
waste (adj.)
c. 1300, of land, "desolate, uncultivated," from Anglo-French and Old North French waste (Old French gaste), from Latin vastus (see waste (v.)). From c. 1400 as "superfluous, excess;" 1670s as "unfit for use." Waste-paper attested from 1580s.
雙語例句
1. At the entry for " kill " , my thesaurus lists " murder " , " assassinate " and " waste " .
我的同義詞詞典在kill條目中列出murder, assassinate, waste 詞條.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
2. Solid low-level waste will be disposed of deep underground.
放射性水平低的固體廢料將做地下深埋處理。
來自柯林斯例句
3. They make compost out of all kinds of waste.
他們用各種廢料制造堆肥。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Overcrowding has taxed the city's ability to deal with waste.
人口過多使得城市的垃圾處理能力達到了極限。
來自柯林斯例句
5. The ability to separate out reusable elements from other waste is crucial.