whiff
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /(h)wɪf/
rhymes: -ɪf
Forms: form: whiffs
Etymology: The noun is possibly:
* partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either:
** waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or
** wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and
* partly onomatopoeic.
Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses.
The verb and adjective are derived from the noun. Verb sense 2.6 (“to catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat”) is possibly derived from sense 1.1 (“to carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air”), sense 2.2 (“to be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air”), and other such senses.
The interjection is derived from noun sense 7.4 (“a sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle”).
Senses: examples: text: Purrus at Pryam driues, but all in rage, / Strikes vvide, but vvith the vvhiffe and vvinde / Of his fell ſvvord, th'unnerued father falles.
ref: c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
text: 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.
ref: 1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, “[Du Bartas His First Week, or Birth of the World: […].] The Fourth Daie of the First Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and Workes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Humfrey Lownes [and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson […]], published 1611, →OCLC, page 100:
text: Their Enſignes ſhine, and Dragons fell that therein pictur'd ſhow, / VVave to and fro vvith vvhiffes of vvind, as it doth gently blovv.
ref: 1610, William Camden, “Danmonii”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 195:
text: "Give her a whiff of fresh air with the bellows, Charley," said Mr. Dawkins; "and you slap her hands, Fagin, while Bill undoes the petticoats."
ref: 1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Introduces Some Respectable Characters with Whom the Reader Is Already Acquainted, and Shows How Monks and the Jew Laid Their Worthy Heads Together”, in Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 29:
synonyms: puff
glosses: A brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air; a waft.
examples: text: 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 his three cups of Canarie, and expoſe one at Hounſlovv, a ſecond at Stanes, and a third at Bagſhot.
ref: 1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC, Act III, scene i, signature [I iiij], recto:
text: 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 at the little wax candle that stood before them: and, after having thrown in two or three whiffs amongst them, sat down and made one of the company.
ref: 1714 July 27 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “FRIDAY, July 16, 1714”, in The Spectator, number 568; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 259:
text: Four pipes after dinner he conſtantly ſmokes; / And ſeaſons his whifs with impertinent jokes.
ref: a. 1718, Matthew Prior, “Epigram”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan, […], published 1779, →OCLC, page 216:
text: Gaffar Andrevvs teſtified no remarkable Emotion, he bleſſed and kiſſed her, but complained bitterly, that he vvanted his Pipe, not having had a VVhiff that Morning.
ref: 1742, Henry Fielding, “Being the Last. In which This True History is Brought to a Happy Conclusion.”, in The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews, and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 299:
text: The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe, / And a scornful laugh laughed he.
ref: 1840 January 10, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “[Ballads.] w:The Wreck of the Hesperus.”, in Ballads and Other Poems, 2nd edition, Cambridge, Mass.: […] John Owen, published 1842, →OCLC, stanza 5, page 43:
text: Mr. Willet looked first at her, then at his son, then back again at Dolly, and then made an ineffectual effort to extract a whiff from his pipe, which had gone out long ago.
ref: 1841 February–November, Charles Dickens, “Barnaby Rudge. Chapter 78.”, in Master Humphrey’s Clock, volume III, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 396:
text: Silver took a whiff or two of his pipe with great composure, and then ran on again.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In the Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 228:
glosses: A short inhalation or exhalation of breath, especially when accompanied by smoke from a cigarette or pipe.
glosses: A short inhalation or exhalation of breath, especially when accompanied by smoke from a cigarette or pipe.
A cigarette or small cigar.
examples: text: 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 taintleſs Body flow.
ref: 1731, [Jonathan Swift], “Strephon and Chloe”, in A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed. […], Dublin; London: […] [William Bowyer] for J. Roberts […], published 1734, →OCLC, page 8:
text: 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 roſe about him from the prodigal ſuperſtition of innumerable admirers.
ref: 1774 April 19, Edmund Burke, Speech of Edmund Burke, Esq. on American Taxation, April 19, 1774, 2nd edition, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1775, →OCLC, page 85:
text: [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.
ref: 1785, William Cowper, “Book IV. The Winter Evening.”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC, page 161:
text: When the major rose from his rocking-chair before the stove and so disturbed the hot air and balmy whiff of soup which fanned their brows, the odour of stale tobacco became so decidedly prevalent as to leave no doubt of its proceeding mainly from that gentleman's attire.
ref: 1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, “Martin Disembarks from that Noble and Fast-sailing Line of Packet Ship, the Screw, at the Port of New York, in the United States of America. […]”, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC, page 203:
text: But the butterflies were dead. A whiff of rotten eggs had vanquished the pale clouded yellows which came pelting across the orchard and up Dods Hill and away on to the moor, now lost behind a furze bush, then off again helter-skelter in a broiling sun
ref: 1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter II, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC, page 21:
synonyms: sniff
glosses: An odour (usually unpleasant) carried briefly through the air.
examples: text: Shift. […] His cheef exerciſes are taking the VVhiffe, ſquiring a Cocatrice, and making priuie ſearches for Imparters.
ref: 1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], “The Names of the Actors”, in The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, signature [A iiij], recto:
text: The Hispaniola rolled steadily, dipping her bowsprit now and then with a whiff of spray.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Voyage”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part II (The Sea Cook), page 83:
synonyms: puff
glosses: A small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.; specifically (obsolete), chiefly in take the whiff: a puff of tobacco smoke.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1832, [Frederick Marryat], chapter XI, in Newton Forster; or, The Merchant Service. […], volume III, London: James Cochrane and Co., […], →OCLC, page 178:
synonyms: waff
waif
wheft
glosses: A flag used as a signal.
glosses: 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).
examples: text: [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 unprincipl'd, unedify'd, and laick rabble, as that the vvhiffe of every nevv pamphlet ſhould ſtagger them out of thir catechiſm, and Chriſtian vvalking.
ref: 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, pages 23–24:
text: [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, contributed for the public good all their Counſels in common, to be then fruſtrated, diſapoiunted, deny'd and repuls'd by the ſingle vvhiffe of a negative, from the mouth of one vvillfull man; […]
ref: 1649, J[ohn] Milton, “XXVII. Intitl’d to the Prince of Wales”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 222:
text: [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— […]
ref: 1767, [Laurence Sterne], chapter IX, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume IX, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, […], →OCLC, page 12:
text: They had their little differences, too; / Their jealous whiffs, which never any change meant: […]
ref: 1817 (date written), [Lord Byron], “Stanza L”, in Beppo, a Venetian Story, London: John Murray, […], published 1818, →OCLC, page 26:
text: But there seemed to be not a whiff of life left in either of the unfortunates.
ref: 1878 January–December, Thomas Hardy, “Sights and Sounds Draw the Wanderers Together”, in The Return of the Native […], volume III, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], published 1878, →OCLC, book V (The Discovery), page 243:
text: This little whiff of temper seemed to cool Silver down. He had been growing nettled before, but now he pulled himself together.
ref: 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Silver’s Embassy”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part IV (The Stockade), page 163:
text: This was a rare whiff of the big-time for a club whose staple diet became top-flight football for so long—the glamour was in short supply, however. Thousands of empty seats and the driving Yorkshire rain saw to that.
ref: 2012 September 23, Ben Smith, “Leeds United 2 – 1 Everton”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 24 May 2021:
text: I can tell you first-hand that we are dealing with a regime that is not being forthright and will seize upon the faintest whiff of trepidation. This is a test to see how far they can push us before we break.
ref: 2014 February 14, Kenneth Lin, “Chapter 18”, in House of Cards, season 2, episode 5, spoken by Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey):
glosses: A slight sign of something; a burst, a glimpse, a hint.
glosses: A slight attack or touch.
glosses: A characteristic quality of something; a flavour, a savour, a taste.
examples: text: 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, […]
ref: 1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “The Sequel of the History of the Meeting at the Salutation”, in Lewis Baboon Turned Honest, and John Bull Politician. Being the Fourth Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 5:
glosses: A sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: A failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss.
topics: ball-games
baseball
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: A failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss.
From the batter's perspective: a strike.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1837, Thomas Carlyle, “The Whiff of Grapeshot”, in The French Revolution: A History […], volume III (The Guillotine), London: James Fraser, […], →OCLC, book VII (Vendémiaire), pages 444–445:
glosses: An expulsion of explosive or shot.
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: An outrigged boat for one person propelled by oar.
examples: text: 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, cheſts of Mammon, vvhiffes and draughts of intoxication, ſongs of ribaldry, ſports of recreation; […]
ref: 1624 September 29 (Gregorian calendar), Jos[eph] Hall, The True Peace-Maker, Laid forth in a Sermon before His Maiesty at Theobalds. September 19. 1624, London: […] J. Haviland for Nath[aniel] Butter, →OCLC, page 13:
text: 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 forthwith: […]
ref: 1653, Francis Rabelais [i.e., François Rabelais], translated by [Thomas Urquhart, Peter Anthony Motteux], “How Gargantua was Borne in a Strange Manner”, in The Works of Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick: Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds, and Sayings of Gargantua, and His Sonne Pantagruel. […], London: […] [Thomas Ratcliffe and Edward Mottershead] for Richard Baddeley, […], →OCLC; republished in volume I, London: […] Navarre Society […], [1948], →OCLC, 1st book, page 24:
glosses: A sip of an alcoholic beverage.
Hyponyms: sense: flounder of the family Paralichthyidae
word: anglefin whiff
sense: flounder of the family Paralichthyidae
word: horned whiff
sense: flounder of the family Paralichthyidae
word: sand whiff
sense: flounder of the family Paralichthyidae
word: Veracruz whiff
Derived terms: whiffle
whiffy