2 ADJ Someone who is wasted is very tired and weak, often because of an illness. □ They look too wasted to care about much.
wa ste dis|pos|al (waste disposals ) N‑COUNT A waste disposal or a waste disposal unit is a small machine in a kitchen sink that chops up vegetable waste. [BRIT ] in AM, use garbage disposal
waste|ful /we I stfʊl/ ADJ Action that is wasteful uses too much of something valuable such as time, money, or energy. □ [+ of ] This kind of training is ineffective, and wasteful of scarce resources. □ Try to avoid wasteful duplication of effort.
waste|land /we I stlænd/ (wastelands )
1 N‑VAR [oft adj N ] A wasteland is an area of land on which not much can grow or which has been spoiled in some way. □ The pollution has already turned vast areas into a wasteland.
2 N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] If you refer to a place, situation, or period in time as a wasteland , you are criticizing it because you think there is nothing interesting or exciting in it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] …the cultural wasteland of Franco's repressive rule.
waste|paper bas|ket /we I stpe I pə r bɑːsk I t, -bæsk-/ (wastepaper baskets ) N‑COUNT A wastepaper basket is a container for rubbish, especially paper, which is usually placed on the floor in the corner of a room or next to a desk.
wast|ing /we I st I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A wasting disease is one which makes you gradually become thinner and weaker.
wast|rel /we I strəl/ (wastrels ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a wastrel you mean that they are lazy and spend their time and money on foolish things. [LITERARY ]
watch
➊ LOOKING AND PAYING ATTENTION
➋ INSTRUMENT THAT TELLS THE TIME
➊ watch ◆◆◆ /wɒ tʃ/ (watches , watching , watched )
→ Please look at categories 15 and 16 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If you watch someone or something, you look at them, usually for a period of time, and pay attention to what is happening. □ [V n] The man was standing in his doorway watching him. □ [V n inf] He watched the waiter prepare the coffee he had ordered. □ [V n v-ing] Chris watched him sipping his brandy. □ [V ] I watched as Amy ate a few nuts.
2 VERB If you watch something on television or an event such as a sports match, you spend time looking at it, especially when you see it from the beginning to the end. □ [V n] I'd stayed up late to watch the film. □ [V n] They spent a great deal of time watching television.
3 VERB If you watch a situation or event, you pay attention to it or you are aware of it, but you do not influence it. □ [V n] Human rights groups have been closely watching the case. □ [V ] Annoyed commuters could only watch as the departure time ticked by.
4 VERB If you watch people, especially children or animals, you are responsible for them, and make sure that they are not in danger. □ [V n] Parents can't be expected to watch their children 24 hours a day.
5 VERB If you watch someone, you follow them secretly or spy on them. □ [V n] Ella was scared that someone was watching her.
6 VERB If you tell someone to watch a particular person or thing, you are warning them to be careful that the person or thing does not get out of control or do something unpleasant. □ [V n] You really ought to watch these quiet types. □ [V n] If you're watching the calories, don't have mayonnaise.
7 N‑COUNT A watch is a period of carefully looking and listening, often while other people are asleep and often as a military duty, so that you can warn them of danger or an attack. □ I had the first watch that May evening.
8 PHRASE If someone keeps watch , they look and listen all the time, while other people are asleep or doing something else, so that they can warn them of danger or an attack. □ Jose, as usual, had climbed a tree to keep watch.
9 PHRASE If you keep watch on events or a situation, you pay attention to what is happening, so that you can take action at the right moment. □ U.S. officials have been keeping close watch on the situation.
10 PHRASE You say ' watch it ' in order to warn someone to be careful, especially when you want to threaten them about what will happen if they are not careful. □ 'Now watch it, Patsy,' the Sergeant told her.
11 PHRASE If someone is on watch , they have the job of carefully looking and listening, often while other people are asleep and often as a military duty, so that they can warn them of danger or an attack. □ Apart from two men on watch in the engine-room, everyone was asleep.
12 PHRASE If you are on the watch for something, you are expecting it to happen and you therefore pay attention to events so that you will notice it when it does happen. □ [+ for ] Environmentalists will be on the watch for damage to wildlife.
13 PHRASE If someone is being kept under watch , they are being guarded or observed all the time.
14 PHRASE You say to someone ' you watch ' or ' just watch ' when you are predicting that something will happen, and you are very confident that it will happen as you say. □ You watch. Things will get worse before they get better.
15 to watch your step → see step
▸ watch for or watch out for PHRASAL VERB If you watch for something or watch out for it, you pay attention so that you notice it, either because you do not want to miss it or because you want to avoid it. □ [V P n] We'll be watching for any developments. □ [V P P n] He called out to them to watch out for the unexploded mine.
▸ watch out PHRASAL VERB If you tell someone to watch out , you are warning them to be careful, because something unpleasant might happen to them or they might get into difficulties. □ [V P ] You have to watch out because there are land mines all over the place.