whiff
noun
[ wɪf ]
• a smell that is only smelt briefly or faintly.
• "I caught a whiff of eau de cologne"
• a puff or breath of air or smoke.
• "whiffs of smoke emerged from the boiler"
• (chiefly in baseball or golf) an unsuccessful attempt to hit the ball.
whiff
verb
• get a brief or faint smell of.
• "he whiffed the broth that was simmering on the stove"
• (chiefly in baseball or golf) try unsuccessfully to hit the ball.
Origin:
late 16th century (originally in the senses ‘gust of wind’ and ‘inhalation of tobacco smoke’, also, as a verb, ‘blow with a slight gust’): imitative.
whiff
noun
• another term for megrim2.
Origin:
early 18th century: perhaps from whiff1.
