The spelling of the word "wast ahead" may be confusing, but it is actually a combination of two words: "wast" and "ahead." "Wast" is an archaic form of the word "was," pronounced /wɑs/ in IPA phonetic transcription. "Ahead" is pronounced /əˈhɛd/ in IPA phonetic transcription. Therefore, "wast ahead" means "was ahead." Although this phrase is no longer common in everyday language, it can be found in literature from past centuries.