waif

waif ¹  (wf)

n.

1.

a. A homeless person, especially a forsaken or orphaned child.

b. An abandoned young animal.

2. Something found and unclaimed, as an object cast up by the sea.

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[Middle English, ownerless property, stray animal, from Anglo-Norman, probably of Scandinavian origin; see weip- in Indo-European roots.]

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waif ²  (wf)

n. Nautical

See waft.

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[Probably of Scandinavian origin; see weip- in Indo-European roots.]

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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. (Transport / Nautical Terms) Nautical another name for waft [5]

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

[from Anglo-Norman, variant of Old Northern French gaif, of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse veif a flapping thing]

waiflike  adj

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

waif - a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned; "street children beg or steal in order to survive" street child child, kid, minor, nipper, tiddler, youngster, tike, shaver, small fry, nestling, fry, tyke - a young person of either sex; "she writes books for children"; "they're just kids"; "`tiddler' is a British term for youngster"

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waif

noun stray, orphan, outcast, urchin, foundling an emaciated waif living rough on the streets

Translations

waif [weɪf] N (= child) → niño/a m/f abandonado/a, niño/a m/f desamparado/a; (= animal) → animal m abandonado
waifs and strays (= children) → niños mpl abandonados or desamparados; (= animals) → animales mpl abandonados

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waif [ˈweɪf] n → gamin(e) m/f des rues
waif-like → au physique de gamin(e) des rues

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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

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waif [weɪf] n → bambino/a abbandonato/a; (slight person) → creatura gracile
waifs and strays → trovatelli mpl

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waif [weɪf] n → bambino/a abbandonato/a; (slight person) → creatura gracile
waifs and strays → trovatelli mpl

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waif

n waif [weif]

a stray, uncared-for child a poor little waif. wegloopkind شارِد، شَخْص أو حَيَوان ضال бездомник opuštěné dítě hjemløst barn verlassenes obdachloses Kind αλητάκι niño abandonado/desamparado kodutu (laps) بچه بي سرپرست katulapsi enfant abandonné יֶלֶד עָזוּב परित्यक्त शिशु nahoče lelenc anak terlantar umkomuleysingi; munaðarleysingi (bambino abbandonato) 浮浪児 부랑자 valkataujantis, benamis vaikas bezpajumtnieks budak terbiar zwerveling hjemløst barn, gatebarn porzucone dziecko, przybłęda órfão copil abandonat беспризорник tulák, najdúch brezdomec beskućnik föräldralöst (hemlöst) barn, gatubarn สัตว์เลี้ยงที่หลงทาง; เด็กที่ถูกทอดทิ้ง; เด็กจรจัด; เด็กข้างถนน kimsesiz çocuk 流浪兒童 безпритульна дитина; покидьок لاوارث شے trẻ bơ vơ 流浪儿