waft

Use waft in a sentence

Steam wafts from this cup.

noun

The definition of a waft is a gust of wind or a smell carried through the air.
An example of a waft is the scent of soup carried through the house.

verb

To waft is defined as to cause something to move smoothly through air or over water.
An example of to waft is for the smell of sauce to travel through the house.

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MLA Style

"waft." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/waft>.

APA Style

waft. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/waft

waft

1. to carry or propel (objects, sounds, odors, etc.) lightly through the air or over water
2. to transport as if in this manner
Origin of waft
altered < waff
Obs. to beckon or signal to, as by a wave of the hand

Origin of waft

back-formation from obsolete wafter, convoy from Late Middle English waughter from Dutch wachter, literally , a watcher from wachten, to watch: for Indo-European base see wake

to float, as on the wind
to blow gently: said of breezes

the act or fact of floating or being carried lightly along
an odor, sound, etc. carried through the air
a breath or gust of wind
a wave, waving, or wafting movement

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"waft." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/waft>.

APA Style

waft. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/waft

waft

verb

waft·ed, waft·ing, wafts

verb

transitive

To cause to go gently and smoothly through the air or over water: The breeze wafted the fog through the fields.

verb

intransitive

To float easily and gently, as on the air; drift: The smell of soup wafted from the kitchen.

noun

Something, such as an odor, that is carried through the air: a waft of perfume.
A light breeze; a rush of air: felt the waft of the sea breeze.
The act or action of fluttering or waving: the waft of her dress.
Nautical A flag used for signaling or indicating wind direction. Also called waif ².

Origin of waft

Back-formation from wafter convoy ship alteration of Middle English waughter from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wachter a guard from wachten to guard ; see weg- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

waft′er
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"waft." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/waft>.

APA Style

waft. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/waft

Verb

(third-person singular simple present wafts, present participle wafting, simple past and past participle wafted)

(ergative) To (cause to) float easily or gently through the air.
(intransitive) To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float.
To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon.

Noun

(plural wafts)

A light breeze.
Something (a scent or od), such as a perfume, that is carried through the air.
(nautical) A flag, (also called a waif or wheft), used to indicate wind direction or, with a knot tied in the center, as a signal.

Origin

Back-formation from wafter (armed convoy ship), alteration of Middle English waughter, from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German wachter (“a guard"), from to guard. The current senses derive from the original sense of "be carried by water". See also waif.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.