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

“She was not just a little waif blowing in the wind,” Judge Jackson said.

From New York Times

She and other characters, like the inimitable Bertie — who makes a “special brew” in high demand — are not waifs of the frontier.

From Los Angeles Times

“She’s not some little waif blowing in the wind,” Jackson said.

From Washington Post

But by age 12, she found herself worrying that she wasn’t quite the physical ideal espoused by the school’s late founder, George Balanchine: a half-starved waif.

From Washington Post

She is a philosopher of love, a comedian, a heartbroken waif and an artist beyond her years.

From New York Times