A sudden expulsion of air from the mouth; a quick puff or slight gust, as of air or smoke. [1913 Webster]
"But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword
The unnerved father falls." [1913 Webster]

"The skipper, he blew a whiff from his pipe,
And a scornful laugh laughed he." [1913 Webster]
A glimpse; a hasty view. [1913 Webster]
The marysole, or sail fluke. [1913 Webster]

whiff, v. t.

To throw out in whiffs; to consume in whiffs; to puff. [1913 Webster]
To carry or convey by a whiff, or as by a whiff; to puff or blow away. [1913 Webster]
"Old Empedocles, . . . who, when he leaped into Etna, having a dry, sear body, and light, the smoke took him, and whiffed him up into the moon." [1913 Webster]

whiff, v. i.

To emit whiffs, as of smoke; to puff. [1913 Webster]

top

OXFORD DICTIONARY

whiff, n. & v.
--n.
1 a puff or breath of air, smoke, etc. (went outside for a whiff of fresh air).
2 a smell (caught the whiff of a cigar).
3 (foll. by of) a trace or suggestion of scandal etc.
4 a small cigar.
5 a minor discharge (of grapeshot etc.).
6 a light narrow outrigged sculling-boat.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. blow or puff lightly.
2 intr. Brit. smell (esp. unpleasant).
3 tr. get a slight smell of.

Etymology

imit.

top

THESAURUS

whiff

aroma, blast, blow, blow a hurricane, blow great guns, blow over, blow up, bluster, bomb, breath, breath of air, breathe, breathe in, breeze, breeze up, brew, capful of wind, catchword, clue, come up, crap out, cue, cue word, dash, definite odor, detectable odor, draw a blank, drop a bomb, drop the ball, effluvium, emanation, essence, evidence, exhalation, fan, flatus, flavor, flop, flummox, fold, fold up, fragrance, freshen, fume, gather, get left, hint, hot lead, huff, inhale, intimation, key, key word, lay an egg, lead, lose out, nose, not hack it, not make it, odor, pipe up, puff, puff of air, puff of wind, rage, redolence, savor, scent, set in, shade, smack, smell, smell of, sniff, snuff, snuffle, soupcon, spoor, squall, stench, stir of air, storm, strike out, subtle odor, suggestion, take the count, telltale, tincture, tinge, tip-off, trace, trail, trifle, vestige, waft, whiffet, whiffle

top

ROGET THESAURUS

whiff

Excitability

N excitability, impetuosity, vehemence, boisterousness, turbulence, impatience, intolerance, nonendurance, irritability, itching, wincing, disquiet, disquietude, restlessness, fidgets, fidgetiness, agitation, trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry, fuss, flurry, fluster, flutter, pother, stew, ferment, whirl, buck fever, hurry-skurry, thrill, state of excitement, fever of excitement, transport, passion, excitement, flush, heat, fever, heat, fire, flame, fume, blood boiling, tumult, effervescence, ebullition, boiling over, whiff, gust, story, tempest, scene, breaking out, burst, fit, paroxysm, explosion, outbreak, outburst, agony, violence, fierceness, rage, fury, furor, furore, desperation, madness, distraction, raving, delirium, phrensy, frenzy, hysterics, intoxication, tearing passion, raging passion, anger, fascination, infatuation, fanaticism, Quixotism, Quixotry, tete montee, excitable, easily excited, in an excitable state, high-strung, irritable, impatient, intolerant, feverish, febrile, hysterical, delirious, mad, moody, maggoty- headed, unquiet, mercurial, electric, galvanic, hasty, hurried, restless, fidgety, fussy, chafing, startlish, mettlesome, high-mettled, skittish, vehement, demonstrative, violent, wild, furious, fierce, fiery, hot-headed, madcap, overzealous, enthusiastic, impassioned, fanatical, rabid, rampant, clamorous, uproarious, turbulent, tempestuous, tumultuary, boisterous, impulsive, impetuous, passionate, uncontrolled, uncontrollable, ungovernable, irrepressible, stanchless, inextinguishable, burning, simmering, volcanic, ready to burst forth, volatile, excited, exciting, Int, pish!, pshaw!, noli me tangere, filled with fury, rapt, inspir'd, maggiore fretta minore atto.

Wind

N wind, draught, flatus, afflatus, efflation, eluvium, air, breath, breath of air, puff, whiff, zephyr, blow, breeze, drift, aura, stream, current, jet stream, undercurrent, gust, blast, squall, gale, half a gale, storm, tempest, hurricane, whirlwind, tornado, samiel, cyclone, anticyclone, typhoon, simoon, simoom, harmattan, monsoon, trade wind, sirocco, mistral, bise, tramontane, levanter, capful of wind, fresh breeze, stiff breeze, keen blast, blizzard, barber, candelia, chinook, foehn, khamsin, norther, vendaval, wuther, windiness, ventosity, rough weather, dirty weather, ugly weather, stress of weather, dirty sky, mare's tail, thick squall, black squall, white squall, anemography, aerodynamics, wind gauge, weathercock, vane, weather- vane, wind sock, anemometer, anemoscope, sufflation, insufflation, perflation, inflation, afflation, blowing, fanning, ventilation, sneezing, errhine, sternutative, sternutatory, sternutation, hiccup, hiccough, catching of the breath, Eolus, Boreas, Zephyr, cave of Eolus, air pump, air blower, lungs, bellows, blowpipe, fan, ventilator, punkah, branchiae, gills, flabellum, vertilabrum, whiffle ball, blowing, windy, flatulent, breezy, gusty, squally, stormy, tempestuous, blustering, boisterous, pulmonic, pulmonary, lull'd by soft zephyrs, the storm is up and all is on the hazard, the winds were wither'd in the stagnant air, while mocking winds are piping loud, winged with red lightning and tempestuous rage.

VB blow, waft, blow hard, blow great guns, blow a hurricane, wuther, stream, issue, respire, breathe, puff, whiff, whiffle, gasp, wheeze, snuff, snuffle, sniff, sniffle, sneeze, cough, fan, ventilate, inflate, perflate, blow up.

For further exploring for "whiff" in Webster Dictionary Online