waif

[ weyf ]

noun

1. a person, especially a child, who has no home or friends.
2. something found, especially a stray animal, whose owner is not known.
3. a very thin, often small person, usually a young woman.
4. a stray item or article:

   to gather waifs of gossip.

5. Nautical. waft ( def 8 ).

waif

/ weɪf /

noun

1. a person, esp a child, who is homeless, friendless, or neglected
2. anything found and not claimed, the owner being unknown
3. nautical another name for waft
4. obsolete.
   law a stolen article thrown away by a thief in his flight and forfeited to the Crown or to the lord of the manor

Derived Forms

• ˈwaifˌlike, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of waif¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, originally “lost, stray (animal), unclaimed (property)” (compare Old French guaif “stray beast”), from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse veif “movement to and fro, something waving, flag”; waive

Word History and Origins

Origin of waif¹

C14: from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old Northern French gaif, of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse veif a flapping thing

Example Sentences

Ann is an opera singer, fragile and captivating onstage, somewhere between waif and warrior.

From Time

Her scruffy waif look was as far as possible from the sophisticated luxury of her childhood.

From The Daily Beast

A tiny quiver of the eyelids, and a tremor through the thin hands and Mysie—poor ruined broken waif of the world—was gone.

From Project Gutenberg

I have heard a waif word in the country,” said I, a little nettled, “that you were a hard man to drive.

From Project Gutenberg

My waif was curled up in my kimono, feeding my fan-tailed goldfish.

From Project Gutenberg

You were a little waif, fed cake and tea at the millionaire's table.

From Project Gutenberg

Woman, divorced from home, wanders unfriended like a waif upon the wave.

From Project Gutenberg