Added 9 October 2026
wisp
/wɪsp/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wisp at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
A small bundle, as of straw or other like substance; a twisted handful of something; any slender, flexible structure or group.
A wisp of hair escaped her barrette and whipped wildly in the wind.
-
A small, thin line of cloud, smoke, or steam.
A wisp of smoke rose from the candle for a few moments after he blew it out.
- A whisk, or small broom.
verb
Origin
From Middle English wispe, wyspe, wips, wipse, perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *wisp, *wips. Cognate with West Frisian wisp, Dutch wisp (“bundle of hay or straw”), Norwegian bokmål/Swedish/Bornholm Danish visp (“handful or bundle of grass, hay, etc.”). Akin also to Middle Dutch/Middle Low German wispel (“measure of grain”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)