Definition

Noun: 1. A small, thin, or delicate bunch or strand: A thin, light, and often untidy piece or bundle of something, such as hair, straw, or grass. 2. A thin, faint streak or fragment: A small, faint, or fleeting amount of something intangible, like smoke, cloud, or memory. 3. A small or slender person: (Often used in the phrase "a wisp of a...") A person who is very small, thin, or delicate in build. 4. A flock of certain birds, especially snipe: A small group or flock of birds, particularly of snipe or other wading birds.

Usage and Examples

• As a small bundle or strand:
  • A wisp of hair had escaped from her ponytail.
  • He used a wisp of straw to clean the bottle.
• As a thin streak or fragment:
  • Only a wisp of cloud drifted across the blue sky.
  • A wisp of smoke rose from the extinguished candle.
  • I can't remember the details, just a wisp of a memory.
• As a small person:
  • She was just a wisp of a girl, but she had a powerful voice.
• As a flock of birds:
  • We saw a wisp of snipe flying over the marsh.

Advanced Usage

• "A mere wisp of a...": This phrase emphasizes extreme smallness, delicacy, or insignificance. It is often used figuratively.
  • He was a mere wisp of a man, swallowed by the large armchair.
  • The plan was based on a mere wisp of evidence.

Variants and Related Words

• Wispy (adjective): Having a thin, delicate, or faint quality.
  • She had wispy blonde hair.
  • The sky was filled with wispy cirrus clouds.

Synonyms

• Strand: A single thin length of something (e.g., hair, fiber).
• Tuft: A bunch of something soft, like hair or grass, held together at the base.
• Lock: A piece or strand of hair.
• Tendril: A slender, curling strand (often of a plant or hair).
• Shred: A small, narrow piece torn or cut from something.
• Trace: A very small quantity or indication of something.

Idioms and Phrases

• Not a wisp of...: Used to emphasize a complete absence of something.
  • There wasn't a wisp of truth in his story.
  • The room was silent, without a wisp of sound.

Noun

1. a flock of snipe
2. a small bundle of straw or hay
3. a small person
   • a mere wisp of a girl
4. a small tuft or lock
   • wisps of hair