waif
[ weyf ]
/ weɪf /
noun
a person, especially a child, who has no home or friends.
something found, especially a stray animal, whose owner is not known.
a very thin, often small person, usually a young woman.
a stray item or article: to gather waifs of gossip.
Nautical. waft(def 8).
Words nearby waif
wahpeton, wai, waianae mountains, waiata, waichow, waif, waikaremoana, waikato, waikiki, wail, wail like a banshee
Origin of waif
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, orig. lost, stray, unclaimed (compare Old French guaif stray beast) < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse veif movement to and fro; see waive
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for waif
British Dictionary definitions for waif
waif
/ (weɪf) /
noun
a person, esp a child, who is homeless, friendless, or neglected
anything found and not claimed, the owner being unknown
nautical another name for waft (def. 5)
law obsolete 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 of waif
waiflike, adjectiveWord Origin for waif
C14: from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old Northern French gaif, of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse veif a flapping thing
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