noun
waif
WAYF/weɪf/
A neglected or homeless person, especially a thin child.
A young waif sits alone in a doorway, wrapped in a worn blanket.
Etymology
Waif described unclaimed property or something abandoned. Through the legal phrase waif and stray, this idea extended to a person—especially a child—without a home or friends.
In context
some little waif she’s picked up. It’s a wretched, puny little thing, too; she has to give it the most unceasing care.
More examples
- The shelter offers the hungry waif a meal and a bed.
- In the novel, two waifs find a home with a farmer.
- The oversized coat makes her look like a waif.
Forms
waif · waifs
waifish adjective — Resembling a thin or neglected child.
Similar words
- urchin
- Usually a mischievous street child, not necessarily homeless or neglected.
- ragamuffin
- Emphasizes a child's ragged, dirty appearance rather than homelessness.