Wast"er, n. Etym: [OE. wastour, OF. wasteor, gasteor. See Waste, v. t.]
1. 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.
2. An imperfection in the wick of a candle, causing it to waste; -- called also a thief. Halliwell.
3. 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
3 May 2025
(adjective) worth having or seeking or achieving; “a desirable job”; “computer with many desirable features”; “a desirable outcome”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
