waif
Waif (noun) means a person, especially a child, who is thin, pale and homeless or uncared for. Example: “The film opens on a waif begging outside the station.”
How to use waif
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thin, fragile-looking person, often a homeless child.
Literary and slightly dated in the homeless-child sense; alive and current in fashion writing, where "waifish" is the usual adjective. The set phrase is "waifs and strays".
Waif rhymes with safe. Waifish means slender and delicate, not simply thin.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The film opens on a _____ begging outside the station.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman French waif "ownerless property, stray", originally a legal term for goods abandoned by a thief in flight.
Related words
Frequently asked questions
Is calling someone a waif an insult?
It is not usually hostile, but it is loaded. It suggests fragility and neglect, and describing an adult woman as a waif can sound belittling even when meant admiringly.
What does waifs and strays mean?
It is a fixed phrase for people or animals with nobody to look after them. It is also used lightly for leftover odds and ends collected together.
What is the meaning of waif?
"waif" (noun) means a person, especially a child, who is thin, pale and homeless or uncared for.
What is another word for waif?
Other words for "waif" include urchin, foundling, stray, orphan, gamine, sylph.
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