wastes
n. C / Un. large areas of land that are empty, wild, or not used for anything. It can also mean the unwanted materials or trash left over from a process.
n. refers to expansive, uninhabited, or uncultivated regions of land; also used for discarded materials or by-products of a process. Often carries a literary or desolate connotation when referring to geography.
The explorers traveled across the frozen wastes of the north.
Environmental groups are concerned about how industrial wastes are being managed near the river.
The novel describes a lonely journey across the vast salt wastes, where the lack of water and shelter tests the protagonist's resolve to its absolute limit.
Plural form of 'waste'. When referring to land, it is almost always plural; when referring to materials, it can be plural to indicate different types of refuse.