waif

views updated

waif / wāf/ • n. 1. a homeless and helpless person, esp. a neglected or abandoned child: she is foster-mother to various waifs and strays. ∎  an abandoned pet animal.2. Law a piece of property thrown away by a fleeing thief and held by the state in trust for the owner to claim.DERIVATIVES: waif·ish adj.

More From encyclopedia.com