What does WAIF mean?

Definitions for WAIF
waif

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word WAIF.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. waif, street childnoun

    a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned

    "street children beg or steal in order to survive"

Wiktionary

  1. waifnoun

    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. waifnoun

    Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance.

  3. waifnoun

    A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Waifnoun

    Goods found, but claim’d by no body; that of which every one waves the claim. Commonly written weif. Ainsw.

    Etymology: wavium, waivium, law Lat. from wave.

Wikipedia

  1. WAIF

    WAIF (88.3 FM) is a community radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio.

ChatGPT

  1. waif

    A waif is a person, often a child, who has been abandoned or is homeless, generally portrayed as helpless and vulnerable. It can also refer to an unsupported or neglected individual ignored by society. Additionally, the term "waif" can be used to describe a thin, unhealthy-looking person.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Waifnoun

    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. Waifnoun

    hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance

  3. Waifnoun

    a wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child

  4. Etymology: [OF. waif, gaif, as adj., lost, unclaimed, chose gaive a waif, LL. wayfium, res vaivae; of Scand. origin. See Waive.]

Wikidata

  1. Waif

    A waif is a living creature removed, by hardship, loss or other helpless circumstance, from its original surroundings. The most common usage of the word is to designate a homeless, forsaken or orphaned child, or someone whose appearance is evocative of the same. As such, the term is similar to a ragamuffin or street urchin, although the main distinction is volitional: a runaway youth might live on the streets, but would not properly be called a waif as the departure from one's home was an exercise of free will. Likewise, a person fleeing their home for purposes of safety, is typically considered not a waif but a refugee.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Waif

    wāf, n. a stray article: anything found astray without an owner: a worthless wanderer.—adj. vagabond, worthless. [O. Fr. waif, wef—Ice. veif, any flapping or waving thing.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. waif

    Goods found and not claimed; derelict. Also used for waft.

Suggested Resources

  1. WAIF

    What does WAIF stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the WAIF acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce WAIF?

How to say WAIF in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of WAIF in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of WAIF in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of WAIF in a Sentence

  1. Thomas Carlyle:

    A man with a half volition goes backwards and forwards, and makes no way on the smoothest road a man with a whole volition advances on the roughest, and will reach his purpose, if there be even a little worthiness in it. The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder - a waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life and having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.

  2. Thomas Carlyle:

    The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder - waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

WAIF#100000#105945#333333

Translations for WAIF

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"WAIF." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/WAIF>.

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    an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
    A deny
    B moan
    C obligate
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