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  1. waif love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A homeless person, especially a forsaken or orphaned child.
  2. n. An abandoned young animal.
  3. n. Something found and unclaimed, as an object cast up by the sea.
  4. n. Nautical See waft.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. Anything blown by the wind or drifted in by the ocean; a thing tossed abroad and abandoned; a stray or odd piece or article.
  2. n. In law: Goods found of which the owner is not known.
  3. n. Such goods as a thief, when pursued, throws away to prevent being apprehended.
  4. n. A wanderer; one who is lost; a neglected, homeless wretch: applied also to beasts.
  5. n. Same as weft or waft.
  6. Vagabond; worthless; ignoble; inferior. Also waff.

Wiktionary

  1. n. obsolete Goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice.
  2. n. obsolete Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance.
  3. n. A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Eng. Law.) Goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice.
  2. n. Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance.
  3. n. A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned

Etymologies

  1. From Anglo-Norman, possibly from Old French guaif ("stray beast"), related to Old Norse veif ("movement to and fro"). (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English, ownerless property, stray animal, from Anglo-Norman, probably of Scandinavian origin; see weip- in Indo-European roots.Probably of Scandinavian origin; see weip- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “The word waif has appeared in 19 New York Times articles in the past year, including this week in Monday's editions in "From Boys to Men," by Guy Trebay:”

    NYT > Home Page

  • “I hate to use the word waif, but what else can you call all these skinny young hairless guys?”

    NYT > Home Page

  • “Learn more about the word "waif" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary.com dictionary.”

    NYT > Home Page

  • “I grew an inch taller and broader between the corner of Cedar Street and Mr. Tetlow's house, such was the charm of the clean, green suburb on a cramped waif from the slums.”

    The Promised Land

  • “Perhaps some of them thought they befriended me for charity's sake, because I was a starved waif from the slums.”

    The Promised Land

  • “He liked his little protege ever since that unfortunate child -- a waif from a Chinese wash-house -- was impounded by some indignant miners for bringing home a highly imperfect and insufficient washing, and kept as hostage for a more proper return of the garments.”

    Under the Redwoods

  • “But quick-witted Mrs. Holmes guessed the word had been "waif" -- poor little waif, and she began dimly to comprehend the big-hearted, rough tent-man, who had tried to guard this little foreign maid from the ignorance and evil about her.”

    Stage Confidences

  • “The waif is a pennoned pole, two or three of which are carried by every boat; and when additional game is at hand, are inserted upright into the floating body of a dead whale, both to mark its place on the sea, and also as token of prior possession, should the boats of any other ship draw near.”

    Moby Dick; or the Whale

  • “If a waif is a lost wanderer, then little Poosk was a decided waif for he had gone very much astray indeed in the North American backwoods.”

    Personal Reminiscences in Book Making and Some Short Stories

  • “The waif is a pennoned pole, two or three of which are carried by every boat; and which, when additional game is at hand, are inserted upright into the floating body of a dead whale, both to mark its place on the sea, and also as token of prior possession, should the boats of any other ship draw near.”

    Moby Dick: or, the White Whale

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synonyms (3)

Words with the same meaning

  1. wanderer
  1. castaway
  1. stray

hypernyms (12)

Words that are more generic or abstract

  1. youngster
  2. minor
  1. nestling
  2. shaver
  1. kid
  2. tiddler
  1. tyke
  2. child
  1. nipper
  2. tike
  1. small fry
  2. fry

same context (9)

Words that are found in similar contexts

  1. wanderer
  1. orphan
  1. outcast
  1. foundling
  1. beggar
  1. urchin
  1. wench
  1. voyager
  1. hamlet

rhymes (5)

Words with the same terminal sound

  1. Rafe
  1. chafe
  1. safe
  1. strafe
  1. unsafe

reverse dictionary (7)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. waift
  1. weft
  1. waif-pole
  1. strayling
  1. Arab
  1. waft
  1. waive

tags (1)

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  1. contact

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Lists

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‘waif’ has been looked up 5723 times, loved by 8 people, added to 63 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 10.