a slight gust or puff of wind, air, vapor, smoke, or the like: a whiff of fresh air.
a slight trace of odor or smell: a whiff of onions.
a single inhalation or exhalation of air, tobacco smoke, or the like.
a trace or hint: a whiff of scandal.
a slight outburst: a little whiff of temper.
verb (used without object)
to blow or come in whiffs or puffs, as wind or smoke.
to inhale or exhale whiffs, as in smoking tobacco.
BaseballSlang. (of a batter) to strike out by swinging at and missing the pitch charged as the third strike.
verb (used with object)
to blow or drive with a whiff or puff, as the wind does.
to inhale or exhale (air, tobacco smoke, etc.) in whiffs.
to smoke (a pipe, cigar, etc.).
BaseballSlang. (of a pitcher) to cause (a batter) to whiff.
Origin of whiff
1
1585–95; aspirated variant of Middle English weffe whiff (of steam or vapor)
OTHER WORDS FROM whiff
whiffer,noun
Words nearby whiff
which way the wind blows, whicker, whid, whidah, Whidbey Island, whiff, whiffet, whiffle, whiffler, whiffletree, whiffy
Definition for whiff (2 of 2)
whiff2
[ hwif, wif ]
/ ʰwɪf, wɪf /
noun
any of several flatfishes having both eyes on the left side of the head, of the genus Citharichthys, as C. cornutus(horned whiff ), inhabiting Atlantic waters from New England to Brazil.
We got a whiff of investor enthusiasm last week as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both rallied to their highest weekly gains in three months.
Why earnings season could be the next big lift for stocks|Bernhard Warner|October 12, 2020|Fortune
I appreciate the simple things I took for granted – each breath, whiff of fresh air, the sun and trees.
The Anatomy Of A Breast Cancer Survivor: ‘Early Detection Saved My Life’|Charli Penn|October 6, 2020|Essence.com
In the latest such instance, all it took was a whiff of a noxious gaseous chemical in the planet’s clouds, hinting that Venus might harbor life, to stop the presses and start the tweetstorms.
Hope for life on Venus survives for centuries against all odds|Tom Siegfried|September 25, 2020|Science News
There were stories of distant strife, in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Northern Ireland, and those stories had the whiff of a different era.
The Best Columns of 2014|John Avlon, Errol Louis|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nobody should waste their time penning letters that any pediatrician with a whiff of insight will ignore.
Kids Don’t Know How Overweight They Really Are|Russell Saunders|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But alongside all the true-fandom, a whiff of regret lingers.
Why The Tea Party Won’t Go Away And More Wisdom From Matt Kibbe|Michael Signer|April 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 2010, she revived the war crimes tribunal: nearly four decades after the crimes, a whiff of justice.
Bangladesh’s Radical Islamists Get U.S. Backing|Kapil Komireddi|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while worldly success sometimes has a whiff of demonic patronage, identification is dangerous.
The Devil and Antonin Scalia|Candida Moss|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
You have not had a whiff with me for a long time, and here is a new church-warden waiting to be broken in.
The Fourth Watch|H. A. Cody
It just goes "whiff" and six or eight long letters are done, so far as you're concerned.
The Letters of William James, Vol. II|William James
This time he was weaving no fantasy round a whiff of violets.
The Late Tenant|Louis Tracy
At the same instant a whiff of the acrid smoke from the distant furnace fires tingled in his nostrils, and he quickened his pace.
The Quickening|Francis Lynde
I always fancy there is a whiff of sea air upon the hill there.'
The Young Step-Mother|Charlotte M. Yonge
British Dictionary definitions for whiff (1 of 2)
whiff1
/ (wɪf) /
noun
a passing odour
a brief gentle gust of air
a single inhalation or exhalation from the mouth or nose
verb
to come, convey, or go in whiffs; puff or waft
to take in or breathe out (tobacco smoke, air, etc)
(tr)to sniff or smell
(intr)Britishslangto have an unpleasant smell; stink
Derived forms of whiff
whiffer, noun
Word Origin for whiff
C16: of imitative origin
British Dictionary definitions for whiff (2 of 2)
whiff2
/ (wɪf) /
noun
mainlyBritisha narrow clinker-built skiff having outriggers, for one oarsman