whiff1

 
Pronunciation: /wɪf/

noun

  • 1a smell that is only smelt briefly or faintly: I caught a whiff of eau de cologne
  • [in singular] British informal an unpleasant smell.
  • [in singular] an act of sniffing or inhaling: I found my inhaler and took a deep whiff
  • [in singular] a trace or hint of something bad, menacing, or exciting: there had been a whiff of financial scandal in the past
  • 2a puff or breath of air or smoke: whiffs of smoke emerged from the boiler
  • 3North American informal (chiefly in baseball or golf) an unsuccessful attempt to hit the ball.

verb

  • 1 [with object] get a brief or faint smell of: he whiffed the broth that was simmering on the stove
  • [no object] British informal give off an unpleasant smell: she whiffed of nicotine
  • 2 [no object] North American informal (chiefly in baseball or golf) try unsuccessfully to hit the ball.

Origin:

late 16th century (originally in the senses 'gust of wind' and 'inhalation of tobacco smoke', also, as a verb, 'blow with a slight gust'): imitative