whiff🔊

A brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air; a waft.

A short inhalation or exhalation of breath, especially when accompanied by smoke from a cigarette or pipe.

(archaic) A cigarette or small cigar.

An odour (usually unpleasant) carried briefly through the air.

A small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.; specifically (obsolete), ''chiefly in'' take the whiff: a puff of tobacco smoke.

A flag used as a signal. +

Any of a number of flatfish such as (dated) the lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) and now, especially, the megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) and (with a descriptive word) a species of large-tooth flounder or sand flounder (family Paralichthyidae).

(figuratively) A slight sign of something; a burst, a glimpse, a hint.

(figuratively) A slight attack or touch.

(figuratively) A characteristic quality of something; a flavor, a savor, a taste.

(figuratively) A sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle.

(figuratively, sports, chiefly US, slang) A failure to hit a ball in various sports (for example, golf); a miss.

(figuratively, baseball) From the batter's perspective: a strike.

(archaic) An expulsion of explosive or shot.

(nautical) An outrigged boat for one person propelled by oar.

(obsolete) A sip of an alcoholic beverage.

To carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air; to blow, puff, or waft away.

To say (something) with an exhalation of breath.

To inhale or exhale (smoke from tobacco, etc.) from a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement; to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff.

To breathe in or sniff (an odour); to smell.

(slang, archaic or dated) To shoot (someone) with a firearm; hence, to assassinate or kill (someone).

(slang, US, baseball) Of a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan.

(obsolete) To consume (an alcoholic beverage).

To move in a way that causes a light gust of air, or a whistling sound.

To be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air; to waft.

To smoke a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement.

To smell; to sniff.

(slang) To give off or have an unpleasant smell; to stink.

(slang, US, chiefly sports) Especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan.

(slang, by extension) To fail spectacularly.

(slang, video games) In fighting games, to execute a move that fails to hit the opponent.

(fishing) To catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat.

(informal) Having a strong or unpleasant odor.

(Used to indicate a sound like that of air passing through a small opening, that is, a short or soft whistle.)