wan ‧ ton /ˈwɒntən $ ˈwɒːn-, ˈwɑːn-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: wan- 'wrongly, badly' (from Old English wan 'lacking' ) + towen , past participle of tee 'to pull, bring up, educate' (11-16 centuries) (from Old English teon ) ]
1 . deliberately harming someone or damaging something for no reason:
an act of wanton aggression
a wanton disregard for life
2 . old-fashioned a wanton woman is considered immoral because she has sex with a lot of men
3 . formal uncontrolled:
wanton growth
—wantonly adverb
—wantonness noun [uncountable]