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waste

noun [C or U] (UNWANTED MATTER)
 
 
/weɪst/

Definition

B1 unwanted matter or material of any type, especially what is left after useful substances or parts have been removed: Britain produces 20 million tonnes of household waste each year. He opposes any kind of nuclear waste being dumped at sea. Millions of gallons of untreated human waste (= excrement) flow into the river every day. Oil spills are common, as is the dumping of toxic industrial wastes. The Japanese recycle more than half of their waste paper.Rubbish and wasteEnvironmental issues
(Definition of waste noun (UNWANTED MATTER) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
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