Word: whiff Part of Speech: verb 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”). Pronunciation: /wɪf/, /ʍɪf/, /wəf/ 1. To carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air; to blow, puff, or waft away. Labels: transitive Example: 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 vvhift him up into the Moone, vvhere he lives yet vvaving up and dovvne like a feather, all foot and embers comming out of that cole-pit; our Poet met him, and talkt vvith him. Example: 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! 2. To say (something) with an exhalation of breath. Labels: transitive Example: [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. Example: They crossed themselves, and whiffed out a protective prayer or two. 3. To inhale or exhale (smoke from tobacco, etc.) from a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement; to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff. Labels: transitive Example: VVhat pleaſure tak'ſt thou in that breath, vvhich dravvs & vvhiffs perpetuall fears? Example: […] 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. 4. To breathe in or sniff (an odour); to smell. Labels: transitive Example: Come, come, my deare, and let us both retire / And vvhiffe the dainties of the fragrant fields: […] Example: 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 up the Belgick fumes, and does abſorbe / From every Soile rich vapours, […] 5. To shoot (someone) with a firearm; hence, to assassinate or kill (someone). Labels: archaic, dated, slang, transitive Example: 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. Example: 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 entrenchments, buildings, and fortifications was indicated. 6. Of a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan. Labels: US, slang, transitive 7. To consume (an alcoholic beverage). Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: 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; […] Example: 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. 8. To move in a way that causes a light gust of air, or a whistling sound. Labels: intransitive 9. To be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air; to waft. Labels: intransitive Example: […] 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. 10. To smoke a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement. Labels: intransitive Example: Morrow Captaine Tucca, vvill you vvhiffe this morning? Example: 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 pipe, and ſeeth the doctrine leſs perplext. 11. To smell; to sniff. Labels: intransitive 12. To give off or have an unpleasant smell; to stink. Labels: intransitive, slang Example: 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! Example: 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 bikes. 13. Especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan. Labels: US, intransitive, slang Example: "Casey Bat". You can't help but swing this bat with all your might. There's a good chance that you may just whiff. 14. To fail spectacularly. Labels: broadly, intransitive, slang Example: 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 served its toughest challenge yet, and it whiffs. Example: 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 client list waiting to be disclosed only for the administration to later say it did not exist. 15. In fighting games, to execute a move that fails to hit the opponent. Labels: intransitive, slang 16. To catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat. Labels: intransitive