[ 'bα:stəd , 'bast- ]
■ noun
1》 archaic or derogatory an illegitimate person.
2》 informal an unpleasant or despicable person.
↘ Brit. a person of a specified kind: you lucky ~!
↘a difficult or awkward situation or device.
■ adjective
1》 archaic or derogatory illegitimate.
2》 no longer in its pure or original form.
Derivatives
~y noun
Word History
The word ~ came into English from Old French in the medieval period and derives from medieval Latin ~us , which probably came from bastum 'packsaddle'. The reason for such a dramatic change of meaning is uncertain: however, there could be a parallel in the Old French term for an illegitimate child, fils de bast , literally 'packsaddle son', i.e. the son of a mule driver who had a brief sexual encounter with a woman, using a packsaddle for a pillow, and was gone by morning.