wisp
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to wisp: Will-o-wisp
wisp
(wĭsp)n.
1. A small bunch or bundle, as of straw, hair, or grass.
2.
a. One that is thin, frail, or slight: "a little wisp of a kid, ten years old" (William Lychack).
b. A thin or faint streak or fragment, as of smoke or clouds.
3. A fleeting trace or indication; a hint: a wisp of a smile.
4. A flock of birds, especially snipe.
5. See ignis fatuus.
v. wisped, wisp·ing, wisps
v.tr.
To twist into wisps or a wisp.
v.intr.
To drift in wisps: smoke wisping from chimneys.
[Middle English.]
wisp′i·ly adv.
wisp′i·ness (wĭs′pē-nĭs) n.
wisp′y adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
wisp
(wɪsp)n
1. a thin, light, delicate, or fibrous piece or strand, such as a streak of smoke or a lock of hair
2. (Agriculture) a small bundle, as of hay or straw
3. anything slender and delicate: a wisp of a girl.
4. a mere suggestion or hint
5. (Zoology) a flock of birds, esp snipe
vb
6. (often foll by: away) to move or act like a wisp
7. (tr) chiefly dialect Brit to twist into a wisp
8. (Horse Training, Riding & Manège) (tr) chiefly Brit to groom (a horse) with a wisp of straw, etc
[C14: variant of wips, of obscure origin; compare wipe]
ˈwispˌlike adj
WISP
(wɪsp)n acronym for
(Communications & Information) Wireless Information Service Provider: an internet service provider set up to deal with and deliver internet services to clients through wireless access points
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wisp
(wɪsp)n.
1. a handful or small bundle of straw, hay, or the like.
2. any thin tuft, lock, mass, etc.: wisps of hair.
3. a thin puff or streak, as of smoke; slender trace.
4. a person or thing that is small, delicate, or barely discernible.
v.t., v.i. 6. to twist into a wisp.
[1300–50; Middle English wisp, wips; akin to wipe]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
wisp
Past participle: wisped
Gerund: wisping
| Imperative |
|---|
| wisp |
| wisp |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  wisp - a small tuft or lock; "wisps of hair" |
| 2. | wisp - a small person; "a mere wisp of a girl" small person - a person of below average size | |
| 3. | wisp - a small bundle of straw or hay | |
| 4. | wisp - a flock of snipe snipe - Old or New World straight-billed game bird of the sandpiper family; of marshy areas; similar to the woodcocks flock - a group of birds |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
wisp
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
خُصْلَةٌ من الشَّعْر
tot
lokkur
gijastyrantis
cirtamutulītisšķipsnastrūkliņa
şuviţăşuviţe
pramienok
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
wisp
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
wisp
(wisp) noun thin strand. a wisp of hair; a wisp of smoke.
ˈwispy adjectivewispy hair.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.