wanton

³wan·ton

verb \ˈwȯn-t^ən, ˈwän-\

Definition of WANTON

intransitive verb

: to be wanton or act wantonly (see ¹wanton)

transitive verb

: to pass or waste wantonly or in wantonness

— wan·ton·er noun

Examples of WANTON

1. It might well be, said Mrs McNab, wantoning on with her memories; they had friends in eastern countries; gentlemen staying there, ladies in evening dress; she had seen them once through the dining-room door all sitting at dinner. —Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse, 1927
2. … for Nature here / Wantoned as in her prime and played at will / Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet, Wild above rule or art, enormous bliss. —John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667

Origin of WANTON

(see ¹wanton)

First Known Use: 1582