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Prodigal

//ˈpɹɑdɪɡəl// adj, noun

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Wastefully extravagant.

    "He found himself guilty of prodigal spending during the holidays."

  2. 2
    Yielding profusely, lavish. often

    "She was a merry person, glad and prodigal of smiles."

  3. 3
    Profuse, lavishly abundant.

    "Goe binde thou vp vond dangling Apricocks, / Which like vnruly Children, make their Syre / Stoupe with oppreſſion of their prodigall weight:"

  4. 4
    Behaving as a prodigal son:; Having (selfishly) abandoned a person, group, or ideal.
  5. 5
    Behaving as a prodigal son:; Returning or having returned, especially repentantly, after such an abandonment.

    "Simon Hart of the Daily Telegraph has tweeted that the prodigal triple-jumper has come home, in preparation for tomorrow's qualification round."

Adjective
  1. 1
    recklessly wasteful wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    A prodigal person; a spendthrift; a wastrel.

    "Now thinkes he that her husbands ſhallow tongue, / The niggard prodigall that praiſde her ſo: / In that high task hath done her Beauty wrong."

  2. 2
    a recklessly extravagant consumer wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- [from prō (“before, forward”)] + agō (“to drive”). Also see prodigy.

Etymology 2

From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- [from prō (“before, forward”)] + agō (“to drive”). Also see prodigy.

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