whiffle

[ hwif-uhl, wif- ]

/ ˈʰwɪf əl, ˈwɪf- /

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verb (used without object), whif·fled, whif·fling.

to blow in light or shifting gusts or puffs, as the wind; veer or toss about irregularly.

to shift about; vacillate; be fickle.

verb (used with object), whif·fled, whif·fling.

to blow with light, shifting gusts.

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Origin of whiffle

First recorded in 1550–60; whiff¹ + -le

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use whiffle in a sentence

For a considerable sound of breathing, not mere whiffling now, was coming from the Colonel—to his wife a sure sign.
The Dark Flower|John Galsworthy
About four o'clock they broke in rain, which the wind drove horizontally with a cold whiffling murmur.
The Patrician|John Galsworthy
If the flame is drawn strongly down for a continuance, without whiffling, you may begin to kindle a fire.
The Complete Works in Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, [Vol 2 of 3]|Benjamin Franklin
For a sound like the whiffling of a wind through dry sticks combined with the creaking of a saw had, impinged on his senses.
The Burning Spear|John Galsworthy

Tom anybody will do, so long as they are not of this whiffling century.
The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb|Charles Lamb

British Dictionary definitions for whiffle

whiffle

/ (ˈwɪfəl) /

verb

(intr) to think or behave in an erratic or unpredictable way

to blow or be blown fitfully or in gusts

(intr) to whistle softly

Word Origin for whiffle

C16: frequentative of whiff 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

whiffle

Origin of whiffle

Words related to whiffle

How to use whiffle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for whiffle

Word Origin for whiffle