whiff

== English == === Etymology === The noun is possibly: partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either: waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and partly onomatopoeic. Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses. The verb and adjective are derived from the noun. Verb sense 2.6 (“to catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat”) is possibly derived from sense 1.1 (“to carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air”), sense 2.2 (“to be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air”), and other such senses. The interjection is derived from noun sense 7.4 (“a sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American, Australia) IPA(key): /wɪf/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ʍɪf/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /wəf/ Rhymes: -ɪf === Noun === whiff (plural whiffs) A brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air; a waft. Synonym: puff A short inhalation or exhalation of breath, especially when accompanied by smoke from a cigarette or pipe. (by extension, archaic) A cigarette or small cigar. An odour (usually unpleasant) carried briefly through the air. Synonym: sniff A small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.; specifically (obsolete), chiefly in take the whiff: a puff of tobacco smoke. Synonym: puff A flag used as a signal. Synonyms: waff, waif, wheft Any of a number of flatfish such as (dated) the lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) and now, especially, the megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) and (with a descriptive word) a species of large-tooth flounder or sand flounder (family Paralichthyidae). (figuratively) A slight sign of something; a burst, a glimpse, a hint. A slight attack or touch. A characteristic quality of something; a flavour, a savour, a taste. A sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle. (sports, chiefly US, slang) A failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss. (baseball) From the batter's perspective: a strike. (archaic) An expulsion of explosive or shot. (nautical) An outrigged boat for one person propelled by oar. (obsolete) A sip of an alcoholic beverage. ==== Hyponyms ==== (flounder of the family Paralichthyidae): anglefin whiff, horned whiff, sand whiff, Veracruz whiff ==== Derived terms ==== whiffle whiffy ==== Translations ==== === Verb === whiff (third-person singular simple present whiffs, present participle whiffing, simple past and past participle whiffed) (transitive) To carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air; to blow, puff, or waft away. To say (something) with an exhalation of breath. To inhale or exhale (smoke from tobacco, etc.) from a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement; to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff. To breathe in or sniff (an odour); to smell. (slang) (archaic or dated) To shoot (someone) with a firearm; hence, to assassinate or kill (someone). (US, baseball) Of a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan. (obsolete) To consume (an alcoholic beverage). (intransitive) To move in a way that causes a light gust of air, or a whistling sound. To be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air; to waft. To smoke a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement. To smell; to sniff. (slang) To give off or have an unpleasant smell; to stink. (US, chiefly sports) Especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan. (by extension) To fail spectacularly. (video games) In fighting games, to execute a move that fails to hit the opponent. (fishing) To catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat. ==== Derived terms ==== whiffer whiffing (adjective, noun) ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === whiff (comparative more whiff, superlative most whiff) (informal) Having a strong or unpleasant odour. Synonyms: stinking, whiffy; see also Thesaurus:malodorous ==== Translations ==== === Interjection === whiff Used to indicate a sound like that of air passing through a small opening, that is, a short or soft whistle. ==== Translations ==== === See also === === References === === Further reading === whiff (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia