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Added 9 October 2026

waft

/wɑft/ verb

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about waft at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To (cause to) float easily or gently through the air.
A breeze came in through the open window and wafted her sensuous perfume into my eager nostrils.
To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float.
To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon.

noun

A light breeze.
Something (such as an odor or perfume) that is carried through the air.
A flag used to indicate wind direction or, with a knot tied in the center, as a signal; a waif, a wheft.

Origin

From Middle English waften, of uncertain origin. Possibly from unattested Old English *wafettan, from wafian (“to wave”) + -ettan, or perhaps borrowed from Middle Dutch wachten (“to guard, provide for”). See also German wabern (“to waft”), Faroese veiftra (“to wave”) and Icelandic váfa (“to fluctuate, waver, doubt”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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