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
waif, street childnoun
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
"street children beg or steal in order to survive"
Wiktionary
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.
waifnoun
Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance.
waifnoun
A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
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
WAIF
WAIF (88.3 FM) is a community radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio.
ChatGPT
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
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
Waifnoun
hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance
Waifnoun
a wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child
Etymology: [OF. waif, gaif, as adj., lost, unclaimed, chose gaive a waif, LL. wayfium, res vaivae; of Scand. origin. See Waive.]
Wikidata
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
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
waif
Goods found and not claimed; derelict. Also used for waft.
Suggested Resources
WAIF
What does WAIF stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the WAIF acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of waif in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of waif in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Examples of waif in a Sentence
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.
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.
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Translations for waif
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"waif." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/waif>.
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