whiff

Use whiff in a sentence

A delicious whiff of coffee.

noun

The definition of a whiff is a slight odor, or a puff of something.
1. When you catch a brief hint of the odor of coffee in the morning from the coffee shop downstairs, this is an example of when you catch a whiff of coffee.
2. If you sneak out to meet your boyfriend and feel like you are taking a big risk, this is an example of when there is a whiff of danger.

verb

Whiff is defined as to blow smoke in puffs.
When you blow smoke in front of someone while smoking, this is an example of when you whiff.

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MLA Style

"whiff." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/whiff>.

APA Style

whiff. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/whiff

whiff

a light puff or gust of air or wind; breath
a slight wave or gust of odor; faint, momentary smell: a whiff of garlic
an inhaling or exhaling, as of tobacco smoke
a faint indication; hint; trace: a whiff of scandal
Informal a complete miss when attempting to hit something, as a golf ball, with a swinging motion

Origin of whiff

echoic

to blow or propel (tobacco smoke, etc.) with a puff or gust; waft

to blow or move in puffs, as in smoking
1. Informal to miss completely when attempting to hit something, as a golf ball, with a swinging motion
2. Slang to strike out in baseball

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MLA Style

"whiff." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/whiff>.

APA Style

whiff. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/whiff

whiff

noun

a. A brief, passing odor carried in the air: a whiff of perfume.
b. A very small trace: a whiff of self-pity in her remarks.
An inhalation, as of air or smoke: Take a whiff of this pipe.
A slight, gentle gust of air; a waft: A whiff of cool air blew into the room.
Baseball A strikeout.

verb

whiffed, whiff·ing, whiffs

verb

intransitive

To be carried in brief gusts; waft: puffs of smoke whiffing from the chimney.
Sports To swing at and miss a ball or puck.
Baseball To strike out. Used of a batter.

verb

transitive

To inhale through the nose; sniff: a dog whiffing the air.
Baseball To strike out (a batter).

Origin of whiff

Perhaps alteration of Middle English weffe offensive smell

Related Forms:

whiff′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

"whiff." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/whiff>.

APA Style

whiff. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/whiff

Noun

(plural whiffs)

A waft; a brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air
An odour carried briefly through the air
A short inhalation of breath, especially of smoke from a cigarette or pipe
(figuratively) a slight sign of something; a glimpse
(baseball) A strike (from the batter's perspective)
The megrim, a fish Lepidorhombus boscii or Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis.

Verb

(third-person singular simple present whiffs, present participle whiffing, simple past and past participle whiffed)

To waft.
To sniff.
(intransitive, baseball) To strike out.
(slang) to attempt to strike and miss, especially being off-balance/vulnerable after missing.
To throw out in whiffs; to consume in whiffs; to puff.
To carry or convey by a whiff, or as by a whiff; to puff or blow away.

Adjective

(comparative more whiff, superlative most whiff)