waif 1
(wāf)n.
1.
a. A homeless person, especially a forsaken or orphaned child.
b. An abandoned young animal.
2. A person, especially a young woman, who is thin or gaunt.
3. Something found and unclaimed, as an object cast up by the sea.
[Middle English, ownerless property, stray animal, from Anglo-Norman, probably of Scandinavian origin; see weip- in Indo-European roots.]
waif 2
(wāf)n. Nautical
See waft.
[Probably of Scandinavian origin; see weip- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
waif
(weɪf)n
1. (Sociology) a person, esp a child, who is homeless, friendless, or neglected
2. anything found and not claimed, the owner being unknown
3. (Nautical Terms) nautical another name for waft5
4. (Law) 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
[C14: from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old Northern French gaif, of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse veif a flapping thing]
ˈwaifˌlike, ˈwaifish adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
waif
(wāf),
n.
1. a person, esp. a child, who has no home.
2. a stray animal, whose owner is not known.
3. a stray item or article.
[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]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  waif - a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned; "street children beg or steal in order to survive" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
waif
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
شارِد، شَخْص أو حَيَوان ضال
hjemløst barn
lelenc
umkomuleysingi; munaîarleysingi
benamis vaikas
bezpajumtnieks
kimsesiz çocuk
waif
[weɪf] N (= child) → niño/a m/f abandonado/a, niño/a m/f desamparado/a; (= animal) → animal m abandonadowaifs and strays (= children) → niños mpl abandonados or desamparados; (= animals) → animales mpl abandonados
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
waif
n → obdachloses or heimatloses Kind; (= animal) → herrenloses Tier; the poor little waif … → das arme kleine Ding, hat kein Zuhause, …; waifs and strays (= children) → obdachlose or heimatlose Kinder pl; (= animals) → herrenlose Tiere pl
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
waif
[weɪf] n → bambino/a abbandonato/a; (slight person) → creatura gracilewaifs and strays → trovatelli mpl
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
waif
(weif) noun a stray, uncared-for child. a poor little waif.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.