whiff

IPA: wˈɪf

noun

  • A brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air; a waft.
  • A short inhalation or exhalation of breath, especially when accompanied by smoke from a cigarette or pipe.
  • (by extension, archaic) A cigarette or small cigar.
  • An odour (usually unpleasant) carried briefly through the air.
  • A small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.; specifically (obsolete), chiefly in take the whiff: a puff of tobacco smoke.
  • A flag used as a signal.
  • 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).
  • (figuratively)
  • A slight sign of something; a burst, a glimpse, a hint.
  • A slight attack or touch.
  • A characteristic quality of something; a flavour, a savour, a taste.
  • A sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle.
  • (sports, chiefly US, slang) A failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss.
  • (baseball) From the batter's perspective: a strike.
  • (archaic) An expulsion of explosive or shot.
  • (nautical) An outrigged boat for one person propelled by oar.
  • (obsolete) A sip of an alcoholic beverage.

verb

  • (transitive)
  • To carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air; to blow, puff, or waft away.
  • To say (something) with an exhalation of breath.
  • To inhale or exhale (smoke from tobacco, etc.) from a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement; to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff.
  • To breathe in or sniff (an odour); to smell.
  • (slang)
  • (archaic or dated) To shoot (someone) with a firearm; hence, to assassinate or kill (someone).
  • (US, baseball) Of a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan.
  • (obsolete) To consume (an alcoholic beverage).
  • (intransitive)
  • To move in a way that causes a light gust of air, or a whistling sound.
  • To be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air; to waft.
  • To smoke a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement.
  • To smell; to sniff.
  • To give off or have an unpleasant smell; to stink.
  • (US, chiefly sports) Especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan.
  • (by extension) To fail spectacularly.
  • (video games) In fighting games, to execute a move that fails to hit the opponent.
  • (fishing) To catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat.

adjective

  • (informal) Having a strong or unpleasant odour.
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Examples of "whiff" in Sentences

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