Crossword clues for waster
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Waster \Wast"er\, n. [OE. wastour, OF. wasteor, gasteor. See Waste, v. t.]
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One who, or that which, wastes; one who squanders; one who consumes or expends extravagantly; a spendthrift; a prodigal.
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.
--Prov. xviii. 9.Sconces are great wasters of candles.
--Swift. An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste; -- called also a thief.
--Halliwell.-
A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a foil.
Half a dozen of veneys at wasters with a good fellow for a broken head.
--Beau. & Fl.Being unable to wield the intellectual arms of reason, they are fain to betake them unto wasters.
--Sir T. Browne.
Wiktionary
Etymology 1 n. 1 Someone or something that wastes; someone who squanders or spends extravagantly. 2 (context dialectal English) An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste. Etymology 2
n. (context obsolete chiefly fencing English) A kind of cudgel; also, a blunt-edged sword used as a foil.
WordNet
Wikipedia
A waster is a practice weapon, usually a sword, and usually made out of wood, though nylon (plastic) wasters are also available. The use of wood or nylon instead of metal provides an economic and safe option for initial weapons training and sparring, at some loss of genuine experience. A weighted waster may be used for a sort of strength training, making the movements of using an actual sword comparatively easier and quicker. Wasters as wooden practice weapons have been found in a variety of cultures over a number of centuries, including ancient China, Ireland, Scotland, Rome, Egypt, medieval and renaissance Europe, Japan, and into the modern era in Europe and the United States. Over the course of time, wasters took a variety of forms not necessarily influenced by chronological succession, ranging from simple sticks to clip-point dowels with leather basket hilts to careful replicas of real swords.
Used commonly in the modern historical european martial arts community, the term refers to wasters fashioned to resemble western European weapons like the longsword or arming sword. Historically, the term "waster" was used in English to refer to cudgels or clubs used as weapons, in addition to wooden swords. The increasingly popular historical martial arts reconstruction groups, as well as the live action role-playing and renaissance festival groups, have provided an ample market for commercial waster retailers. As the martial art has grown and academic interest has risen in weapons other than the longsword and arming sword, other types of wasters have been produced commercially.
The concept of wooden practice weapons is not limited to the historical european martial arts. Some Japanese martial arts involving swordsmanship, such as kenjutsu and iaido, use bokken or shinai as practice weapons. Eskrima, a martial art from the Philippines, also uses a type of rattan stick as a practice weapon in place of a blade. The martial art of singlestick is more or less entirely derived from the use of wasters as practice weapons in place of broadswords.
Usage examples of "waster".
Some of them have taken over the Waster Horde and are leading it against the Kencyrath.
The first skirmish came shortly after midnight on the thirtieth when a dozen Waster scouts from the Horde ran into a Kencyr ten-command on wide patrol about a mile from the foot of the Mendelin Steps.
The boy was standing over her, facing a huge Waster, shouting defiance in a cracked voice.
He turned as figures emerged from the mistsix, seven, eight of them wearing the patchwork skins and ivory ornaments of Waster elders, a ninth in rhi-sar armor stained blue.
They were dressed like Waster elders, but something in their eyes gave her pause.
It reared and plunged, striking, biting, finally screaming as Waster knives found its vitals.
After years bumming round as an ordinary waster kid, it had taken the sect to show him what he really was, an animal, pure and simple.
He was more than a waster kid, probably got tied in with some underground organization before he was transported.
Blades that were hacking at the Waster exploded, their users charred in the sudden blackness that burned like a dark fire.
Dwarfing her, the Waster eyed the fire and a huge grin split its heavy lips, revealing double rows of sharpened yellow teeth.
As she approached, the Waster drew itself up to its full towering height.
Jasell Henge and later told her to strike the Waster with her sword in Cosrandra.
I came for a twofold reason: to see how the Little Wren wears her new strength after her ordeal with the Waster, and to bring you word.
In their fore was the Waster, his long black staff raised high above his head.
Now he sped off again, racing for that tall lone standing stone just as the Waster broke out of the forest behind them.