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disciplined; unrestrained; hence, loose; free; luxuriant; roving; sportive. "In woods and wanton wilderness." Spenser. "A wild and wanton herd." Shak. A wanton and a merry [friar]. Chaucer. [She] her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveled, but in wanton ringlets waved. Milton. How does your tongue grow wanton in her…

To behave wantonly; to frolic; to wanton. [R.] Lamb.

In a wanton manner; without regularity or restraint; loosely; sportively; gayly; playfully; recklessly; lasciviously.

The quality or state of being wanton; negligence of restraint; sportiveness; recklessness; lasciviousness. Gower. The tumults threatened to abuse all acts of grace, and turn them into wantonness. Eikon Basilike. Young gentlemen would be as sad as night Only for wantonness. Shak.

An amorous girl or woman; a wanton. [Obs.] J. Warton.

A wanton woman; a courtesan. Sir T. Herbert.

The wanton slaughter of game. Howitt.

A showy wanton; a courtesan. Shak

bussed the milking maid." Tennyson. Kissing and bussing differ both in this, We buss our wantons, but our wives we kiss. Herrick.

Cheerful or mirthful, as after good eating or drinking; also, wanton. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

jovially. [Archaic] Guests carouse the sparkling tears of the rich grape. Denham. Egypt's wanton queen, Carousing gems, herself dissolved in love. Young.

acteristic of citizens; effeminate; luxurious. [Obs.] I am not well, But not so citizen a wanton as To seem to die ere sick. Shak.

superfluous tooth in young horses. -- To cast one's colt's tooth, to cease from youthful wantonness. "Your colt's tooth is not cast yet." Shak. -- To have a colt's tooth, to be wanton. Chaucer.

Like a colt; wanton; frisky. He was all coltish, full of ragery. Chaucer. -- Colt"ish*ly, adv. -- Colt"ish*ness, n.

To require to be borne or suffered; to cause. To do him wanton rites, whichcost them woe. Milton. To cost dear, to require or occasion a large outlay of money, or much labor, self-denial, suffering, etc.

a conceit consisting in a change of the form or meaning of a word. Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles. Milton.

To twist or make onto coils, as a serpent's body. Of his tortuous train, Curled many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve. Milton.

The act of dallying, trifling, or fondling; interchange of caresses; wanton play. Look thou be true, do not give dalliance Too mnch the rein. Shak. O, the dalliance and the wit, The flattery and the strifeTennyson.

To interchange caresses, especially with one of the opposite sex; to use fondling; to wanton; to sport. Not dallying with a brace of courtesans. Shak. Our aerie . . . dallies with the wind. Shak.

To seize upon and destroy or appropriate greedily, selfishly, or wantonly; to consume; to swallow up; to use up; to waste; to annihilate. Famine and pestilence shall devour him. Ezek. vii. 15. I waste my life and do my days devour. Spenser.