waif
10
8.8
- noun
- /weɪf/
:
niño desamparado
- Poor fatherless waifs.
Examples
-
Did you truly think that saving one ragged waif... ...would change anything?
-
Bubbles, a street waif whom Barbara has befriended.
-
- That pretty young waif you found.
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You poor little angel waif.
-
But instead, the thin waif of a woman asks, "And where are you?"
Fiction book (1995) -
Finally, she rang the doorbell, standing there like a waif, her bare legs freezing.
Fiction book (1993) -
Take the case of the little waif whose body was found upon the street by one of Cabrini’s orphans.
-
The police found a little waif wandering alone in the park, visibly hungry and scared.
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She cared for the waif, providing food and shelter to help the neglected child.
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The movie depicted the struggles of a waif trying to survive on the streets of a big city.
Synonyms
38
3.2
Something left without care or help
5
7.6
A poor child who spends most of their time on the streets
3
4.4
A child who lives or works on the streets without adult care
How Thin
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word waif comes from an old French word that meant 'stray' or 'abandoned' and at first described lost animals or things. So, a waif is like something or someone left alone, which is why people use it for a thin, homeless child.