waif

/weif/

Thân thiện

A young waif sits alone on a city street corner.

Definition

Noun: 1. A homeless, neglected, or abandoned child, especially one who appears thin and undernourished. This is the most common meaning, describing a child without a home or proper care, often wandering alone. 2. (Archaic or Literary) A person or thing that is homeless, abandoned, or without an owner. This can extend to animals or objects that are lost, stray, or ownerless.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The novel's protagonist was a poor waif, surviving alone on the streets of the city.
  • She looked like a little waif in her oversized, ragged coat.
  • (Archaic) The sailor found a waif washed up on the shore—a crate from a shipwreck.

Advanced Usage

• "Waifs and strays": This is a fixed phrase used to refer collectively to homeless and neglected people or animals, or to miscellaneous unwanted items.
  • The kind woman took in all the waifs and strays—lost cats, lonely children, and anyone in need.
  • The box was full of waifs and strays from the old toolbox: odd screws, broken washers, and bits of wire.

Variants and Related Words

• Waifish (adjective): Having the thin, delicate, or fragile appearance often associated with a waif.
  • She had a waifish figure and large, soulful eyes.

Synonyms

• Urchin: A poor, often mischievous child, especially one who is poorly dressed.
• Stray: A person or animal that is lost or has no home.
• Foundling: A deserted or abandoned child of unknown parentage.

Idioms and Phrases

• Waifs and strays: As described in 'Advanced Usage', this idiom refers to homeless or neglected creatures or a collection of miscellaneous, unwanted things.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned
   • street children beg or steal in order to survive

Từ đồng nghĩa

• street child