wanter

wanter

See also: Wanter

English

Etymology 1

want +‎ -er

Noun

wanter (plural wanters)

1. One who wants, or who wants something
   • 1857, Various, The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume IV.‎:

     Witless hizzie, e'en 's you like, The ne'er a doit I 'm carin'; But men maun be the first to speak, An' wanters maun be speerin'.

   • 1898, Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr, Scottish sketches‎:

     But if Donald McFarlane wants money, he's got kin that can accommodate him, James; wanters arena always that fortunate.

   • 1921, Various, The Best Short Stories of 1921 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story‎:

     You see, the trouble with Americans is that they are the greatest wanters of cake after they've eaten it the world has ever seen.

Etymology 2

Contraction of want to

Verb

wanter

1. Eye dialect spelling of want to.
   • 1901, Henry Lawson, Joe Wilson and His Mates‎:

     I reckon it weighs about a ton by the weight of it if yer wanter know.

   • 1925, Amy Lowell, Men, Women and Ghosts‎:

     Here, lift over them crates o' oranges I wanter fix 'em in the winder."

   • 1936-1938, Works Projects Administration, Slave Narratives Vol. XIV. South Carolina, Part 2‎:

     My birthday over, I wanter go right home to Heaven.

Anagrams

• netwar