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Waif vs. Wail — What's the Difference?

Waif vs. Wail — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Waif and Wail

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Waif

A waif (from the Old French guaif, "stray beast") is a living creature removed, by hardship, loss or other helpless circumstance, from its original surroundings. The most common usage of the word is to designate a homeless, forsaken or orphaned child, or someone whose appearance is evocative of the same.

Wail

A prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger
Christopher let out a wail

Waif

A homeless person, especially a forsaken or orphaned child.

Wail

Utter a wail
‘But why?’ she wailed
Tina ran off wailing

Waif

An abandoned young animal.
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Wail

To make a long, loud, high-pitched cry, as in grief, sorrow, or fear.

Waif

A person, especially a young woman, who is thin or gaunt.

Wail

To make a prolonged, high-pitched sound suggestive of a cry
The wind wailed through the trees.

Waif

Something found and unclaimed, as an object cast up by the sea.

Wail

To lament over; bewail.

Waif

See waft.

Wail

A long, loud, high-pitched cry, as of grief or pain.

Waif

Often in the form waif and stray, waifs and strays: an article of movable property found of which the owner is not known, such as goods washed up on a beach or thrown away by an absconding thief; such items belong to the Crown, which may grant the right of ownership to them to a lord of a manor.

Wail

A long, loud, high-pitched sound
The wail of a siren.

Waif

(figuratively)

Wail

A loud, bitter protest
A wail of misery went up when new parking restrictions were announced.

Waif

Something found, especially if without an owner; something which comes along, as it were, by chance.

Wail

(intransitive) To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.

Waif

A person (especially a child) who is homeless and without means of support; also, a person excluded from society; an outcast.

Wail

(intransitive) To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.

Waif

(by extension) A very thin person.
Thesaurus:thin person
Thesaurus:fat person

Wail

(intransitive) To make a noise like mourning or crying.
The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.

Waif

A plant introduced in a place outside its native range but is not persistently naturalized.

Wail

(transitive) To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
To wail one's death

Waif

A small flag used as a signal.

Wail

To perform with great liveliness and force.

Waif

Something (such as clouds or smoke) carried aloft by the wind.

Wail

(obsolete) wale

Waif

(transitive) To cast aside or reject, and thus make a waif.

Wail

A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
She let out a loud, doleful wail.

Waif

Goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice.

Wail

Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
A bird's wail in the night.

Waif

Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance.

Wail

A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.

Waif

A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.
A waifDesirous to return, and not received.

Wail

To choose; to select.

Waif

A homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned;
Street children beg or steal in order to survive

Wail

To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's death.

Wail

To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep.
Therefore I will wail and howl.

Wail

Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing.

Wail

A cry of sorrow and grief;
Their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward

Wail

Emit long loud cries;
Wail in self-pity
Howl with sorrow

Wail

Cry weakly or softly;
She wailed with pain

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