Definition of "witwanton"

All epicures, witwantons, atheists.

1613, Josuah Sylvester, Lachrymae Lachrymarum

And how dangerous it is for wit-wanton men to dance with their nice distinctions, on such mystical precipices, where slips in jest may cause deadly downfalls in earnest, …

1655, Thomas Fuller, “4, A.D. 1611--1619”, in The Church History of Britain from the Birth of Jesus Christ until the Year MDCXLVIII, Book 10‎

Word-warriors and wit-wantons would waste their breath upon one whose book-hunger has won him so rich a meed, ...

1855, Thomas Carlyle, Fraser's magazine, Volume 52‎, Digitized edition, published 2005, page 345

The witwanton is always a little off in trying to be always GETTING MENTAL.

1986, David Grambs, Dimboxes, epopts, and other quidams

WITWANTON: One who tries to be cleverly amusing, but misses the mark.

2003, Robert M. Jarvis, Amicus Humoriae: An Anthology of Legal Humor‎, Carolina Academic Press, page 97

… a citizen in Cheapside was executed as a traitor for saying he would make his son heir to the crown, though he only meant his own house, having a crown for the sign, more dangerous it is to wit-wanton it with the Majesty of God.

1834, William Chambers, Robert Chambers, Chambers's Edinburgh Journal‎, Digitized edition, W. Orr, published 2007, page 32

Wit-wanton it with lewd barbarity, …

1839, Rober Southey, The poetical works of Robert Southey‎, Digitized edition, D. Appleton, published 2008, page 88

And Master Lynch bade him have a care to flout and witwanton as the god self was angered for his hellprate and paganry.

1922, James Joyce, Ulysses‎, HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2008

Nor I will not suffer mine indignation so to witwanton with fair justice as persuade me to put the wite on Witchland.

1922, E. R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros‎, The Project Gutenberg, Australia