{
    "term": "waste",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "the act of using something in a careless or unnecessary way, causing it to be lost or destroyed",
            "sensetop": "waste of something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I hate unnecessary waste."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It seems such a waste to throw good food away."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I hate to see good food **go to waste** *(= be thrown away)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The report is critical of the department's waste of resources.",
                    "contextForm": "waste of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "What a waste of paper!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "If nobody comes all this food will go to waste."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Try to avoid unnecessary waste."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a tragic waste of human life"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a waste of energy/​resources"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["absolute", "complete", "total"],
                "verb + waste": ["go to", "cause", "avoid"],
                "preposition": ["waste of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a situation in which it is not worth spending time, money, etc. on something",
            "sensetop": "waste (of something)",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These meetings are a complete **waste of time**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They believe the statue is a **waste of** taxpayers' **money**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The whole exercise is just a waste of effort."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a criminal waste of public money"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The whole thing has been a complete waste of time."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["absolute", "complete", "total"],
                "verb + waste": ["go to", "cause", "avoid"],
                "preposition": ["waste of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "materials that are no longer needed and are thrown away",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**household/garden/industrial waste**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**hazardous/toxic/radioactive waste**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Landfills for **solid wastes** have started reaching their capacity."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**waste disposal** *(= the process of getting rid of waste)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The private sector plays a significant role in **waste management**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Waste water going out into the rivers was reduced by 92 per cent."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Around four million tons of industrial waste are disposed of each year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the disposal of toxic/​radioactive wastes"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the highly expensive task of cleaning up toxic waste"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Three quarters of all construction waste was recycled."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the best solutions for managing waste"
                },
                {
                    "text": "technology to convert solid waste into renewable energy"
                },
                {
                    "text": "new regulations on the feeding of slaughterhouse waste to cattle"
                },
                {
                    "text": "facilities for processing radioactive waste"
                },
                {
                    "text": "areas contaminated by industrial waste"
                },
                {
                    "text": "an incinerator for burning hospital waste"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a waste processing plant"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a dump containing hazardous waste"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a ban on waste imports"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Tonnes of waste are produced every year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The river was used for years as an industrial waste dump."
                },
                {
                    "text": "More people are dumping waste illegally."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Industrialized countries continue to export their waste."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A removable hatch allows access to the waste pipes."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["The environment"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["dangerous", "harmful", "hazardous"],
                "verb + waste": ["create", "generate", "produce"],
                "waste + verb": ["contaminate something", "pollute something"],
                "waste + noun": ["collection", "disposal", "incineration"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "solid or liquid material that the body gets rid of",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The farmers use both animal and human waste as fertilizer."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["dangerous", "harmful", "hazardous"],
                "verb + waste": ["create", "generate", "produce"],
                "waste + verb": ["contaminate something", "pollute something"],
                "waste + noun": ["collection", "disposal", "incineration"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "a large area of land where there are very few people, animals or plants",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the frozen wastes of Siberia"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["desert", "frozen", "icy"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person who is not useful or good at anything",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You are a pathetic waste of space!"
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/weɪst/",
                "audio": "wa/waste/waste__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/weɪst/",
                "audio": "wa/waste/waste__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": null
}