/(h)wɪf/
- A brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air; a waft.
“Purrus at Pryam driues, but all in rage, / Strikes vvide, but vvith the vvhiffe and vvinde / Of his fell ſvvord, th'unnerued father falles.”
“Now as the VVinde, buffing vpon a Hill / VVith roaring breath againſt a ready Mill, / VVhirls vvith a vvhiff the ſails of ſvvelling clout, / The ſails doo ſvving the vvinged ſhaft about.”
“Their Enſignes ſhine, and Dragons fell that therein pictur'd ſhow, / VVave to and fro vvith vvhiffes of vvind, as it doth gently blovv.”
- A short inhalation or exhalation of breath, especially when accompanied by smoke from a cigarette or pipe.
“Sog[liardo]. […] [D]oe you profeſſe theſe ſleights in Tabacco? / […] / Shift. Yes as ſoone ſir; he ſhall receiue the 1, 2, and 3 VVhiffe, if it pleaſe him, & (vpon the receit) take his horſe, drinke h”
“I was yesterday in a coffee-house not far from the Royal Exchange, where I observed three persons in close conference over a pipe of tobacco; upon which, having filled one for my own use, I lighted it”
“Four pipes after dinner he conſtantly ſmokes; / And ſeaſons his whifs with impertinent jokes.”
- archaic, broadlyA cigarette or small cigar.
- An odour (usually unpleasant) carried briefly through the air.
“And then, ſo nice, and ſo genteel; / Such Cleanlineſs from Head to Heel: / No Humours groſs, or frowzy Steams, / No noiſom Whiffs, or ſweaty Streams, / Before, behind, above, below, / Could from her t”
“The fortune of ſuch men was a temptation too great to be reſiſted by one, to whom, a ſingle whiff of incenſe withheld gave much greater pain, than he received delight, in the clouds of it, which daily”
“[E]v'ry twentieth pace / Conducts the unguarded noſe to ſuch a whiff / Of ſtale debauch forth-iſſuing from the ſtyes / That law has licenſed, as makes temp'rance reel.”
- A small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.; specifically (obsolete), chiefly in take the whiff: a puff of tobacco smoke.
“Shift. […] His cheef exerciſes are taking the VVhiffe, ſquiring a Cocatrice, and making priuie ſearches for Imparters.”
“The Hispaniola rolled steadily, dipping her bowsprit now and then with a whiff of spray.”
- A flag used as a signal.
“When the Indiaman was within a mile, the stranger threw out neutral colours, and hoisted a whiff, half-mast down, as a signal that she was in distress.”
- 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).
- figurativelyA slight sign of something; a burst, a glimpse, a hint.
“[I]t reflects to the diſrepute of our Miniſters […] that after all this light of the Goſpel vvhich is, and is to be, and all this continuall preaching, they ſhould be ſtill frequented vvith ſuch an un”
“[N]othing can be more unhappy, more diſhonourable, more unſafe for all, then vvhen a vviſe, grave, and honourable Parlament ſhall have labourd, debated, argu'd, conſulted, and, as he himſelfe ſpeaks, ”
“[A] vvhiff of military pride had puff'd out his ſhirt at the vvriſt; and upon that in a black leather thong clipp'd into a taſſel beyond the knot, hung the Corporal's ſtick— […]”
- figurativelyA slight attack or touch.
- figurativelyA characteristic quality of something; a flavour, a savour, a taste.
- figurativelyA sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle.
“Nic. anſvver'd little to that, but immediately pull'd out a Boatſvvain's VVhistle; upon the firſt VVhiff, the Tradeſmen came jumping into the Room, […]”
- US, figuratively, slangA failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss.
- US, figuratively, slangFrom the batter's perspective: a strike.
- archaicAn expulsion of explosive or shot.
“Singular: in old Broglie's time, six years ago, this Whiff of Grapeshot was promised: but it could not be given then; could not have profited then.”
- An outrigged boat for one person propelled by oar.
- obsoleteA sip of an alcoholic beverage.
“Fly about vvhither thou vvilt, […] thou ſhalt no vvhere finde reſt for the ſoles of thy feet, but in this Arke of Chriſts perfect righteouſneſſe: In vaine ſhalt thou ſeeke it […] in beds of luſt, cheſ”
“I will yet go drink one whiffe more and if in the meane time any thing befall you that may require my presence, I will be so near to you, that, at the first whistling in your fist, I shall be with you”
- transitiveTo carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air; to blow, puff, or waft away.
“There are in all but three vvayes of going thither [to the moon]. […] [The] third, Old Empedocles vvay; vvho vvhen he leaped into Ætna, having a drie ſeare bodie, and light, the ſmoake took him and vv”
“Five weeks ago, when they kissed the hand of Majesty, the mode he took got nothing but censure; and then his 'sincere attachment,' how was it scornfully whiffed aside!”
“The assemblage rose, whiffed ceremony to the winds, and rushed for the door like a mob; […]”
- transitiveTo say (something) with an exhalation of breath.
“[H]e ſat ſolitary and penſive vvith his pipe—looking at his lame leg—then vvhiffing out a ſentimental heigh ho! vvhich mixing vvith the ſmoak, incommoded no one mortal.”
“They crossed themselves, and whiffed out a protective prayer or two.”
- transitiveTo inhale or exhale (smoke from tobacco, etc.) from a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement; to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff.
“VVhat pleaſure tak'ſt thou in that breath, vvhich dravvs & vvhiffs perpetuall fears?”
“[…] Richard, knowing his retainer's zest for conspiracy too well to seek him anywhere but in the part most favoured with shelter and concealment, found him furtively whiffing tobacco.”
“There was silence as they [the Shawnees] whiffed at the council pipes. Then a tall chief arose and glanced at the handful of whites and at his own three hundred along the walls of the council house.”
- transitiveTo breathe in or sniff (an odour); to smell.
“Come, come, my deare, and let us both retire / And vvhiffe the dainties of the fragrant fields: […]”
“The kalender, […] hath late deſcry'd / That evill affected planet Mars, ally'd / To temporizing Mercury, conjoyn'd / I'th'houſe of Death; […] That Houſe; vvhich like a Sun in this our Orbe, / VVhiffes”
“He glanced once at the pines, going farther away, whiffed at the pleasant odor of the grape blooms, waved his hand to the roses, in farewell, perhaps, lifted his face to the blue heaven— […] then, wea”
- archaic, dated, slang, transitiveTo shoot (someone) with a firearm; hence, to assassinate or kill (someone).
“Arms are the one thing needful: with arms we are an unconquerable man-defying National Guard; without arms, a rabble to be whiffed with grapeshot.”
“It was pointed out that troops would not always remain in the open to be whiffed out of existence by shrapnel. Rather would they get under cover at what speed they might. So a shell to deal with entre”
“You shot Geiger to get it. Last night in the rain. It was dandy shooting weather. The trouble is he wasn't alone when you whiffed him. Either you didn't notice that, which seems unlikely, or you got t”
- US, slang, transitiveOf a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan.
- obsolete, transitiveTo consume (an alcoholic beverage).
“Hee therefore that would ſtriue to faſhion his leggs to his ſilke ſtockins, and his proud gate to his broad garters, let him whiffe downe theſe obſeruations; […]”
“And when Gargantua whiffed the great draught, they thought to have been drowned in his mouth, and the flood of wine had almost carried them away into the gulf of his stomack.”
- intransitiveTo move in a way that causes a light gust of air, or a whistling sound.
- intransitiveTo be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air; to waft.
“[…] I have sought to stay myself, in falling, against what looked to be a solid trunk, and the whole thing has whiffed away at my touch like a sheet of paper.”
- intransitiveTo smoke a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement.
“Morrow Captaine Tucca, vvill you vvhiffe this morning?”
“The brawny threſher whirling faſt his flail, / Pauſes, and takes a pinch each ſheaf betwixt; / The Squire too whiffeth, o'er his mug of ale; / And eke the Parſon, o'er ſome crabbed text, / Sucketh his”
- intransitiveTo smell; to sniff.
- intransitive, slangTo give off or have an unpleasant smell; to stink.
“She [a dead cat]—is—there, gettin' ready to surprise 'em. Presently she'll begin to whisper to 'em in their dreams. Then she'll whiff. Golly, how she'll whiff!”
“The second trauma was sharing a boat with all the foreigners who were beginning to whiff somewhat and had things crawling out of their beards, having spent days on end reaching the ferry on their bike”
- US, intransitive, slangEspecially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan.
“"Casey Bat". You can't help but swing this bat with all your might. There's a good chance that you may just whiff.”
- broadly, intransitive, slangTo fail spectacularly.
“Or consider an alternative [imaginary] exhibit, in some side gallery, that sadly reflects on an enormous lost opportunity. […] This is a dark, dead end in the Biden library: A once mighty nation is se”
“And she was particularly critical of Attorney-General Pam Bondi for her handling of the Epstein case, saying she "whiffed" on handling public expectations by suggesting the Justice Department had a cl”
- intransitive, slangIn fighting games, to execute a move that fails to hit the opponent.
- intransitiveTo catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat.
- informalHaving a strong or unpleasant odour.
“[F]rom under a pile of stones [they] drew forth the new-slain corpse of a cat. […] 'Well-nourished old lady, ain't she?' said Stalky. 'How long d'you suppose it'll take her to get a bit whiff in a con”
“Whoo boy that gear oil is pretty whiff. If you actually do this, spend the extra money for the synthetic gear oil as it will not have as bad a sulfur stink as the regular stuff.”
- Used to indicate a sound like that of air passing through a small opening, that is, a short or soft whistle.
“Sir Willoughby, […] made to this extraordinary remonstrance no other reply than a long whiff, and a "Well, Russelton, dash my wig (a favourite oath of Sir W.'s) but you're a queer fellow."”
“But yonder, whiff! there comes a sudden heat, / The gravest citizen seems to lose his head, […]”
Formswhiffs(plural) · whiffs(present, singular, third-person) · whiffing(participle, present) · whiffed(participle, past) · whiffed(past) · more whiff(comparative) · most whiff(superlative)