wisp

 
Pronunciation: /wɪsp/

noun

  • a small thin or twisted bunch, piece, or amount of something: wisps of smoke rose into the air
  • a small bunch of hay or straw used for drying or grooming a horse.
  • a small, thin person, typically a child: a fourteen-year-old wisp of a girl

Origin:

Middle English: origin uncertain; perhaps related to whisk