wisp

1 of 2

noun

1
: a small handful (as of hay or straw)
2
a
: a thin strip or fragment
b
: a thready streak
a wisp of smoke
c
: something frail, slight, or fleeting
a wisp of a girl
a wisp of a smile
3
archaic : will-o'-the-wisp
wispily adverb
wispiness noun
wispy adjective

wisp

2 of 2

verb

wisped; wisping; wisps

transitive verb

1
: to roll into a wisp
2
: to make wisps of
a cigarette wisping smoke at the corner of his mouthRaymond Chandler

intransitive verb

: to emerge or drift in wisps
her hair began to wisp into her eyesMary Manning

Examples of wisp in a Sentence

Noun Wisps of steam rose up from the teapot. Wisps of cotton candy clung to his mouth.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
In the low 70s when the rest of the state was suffering through a heatwave, and the fog on several occasions rolled in cinematically, the fast wisps preceding a cottony bank that blotted out the sun. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024 The restaurant has moved a few blocks north, for one, and Solondz’s hair is now gray and Seussian in light wisps, his large features ornamented by bright-blue circular glasses. Elena Saavedra Buckley, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
Verb
There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, not even a cirrus wisp or fading contrail. Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 11 July 2024 Tropical trade winds blow in a band across the equator, spinning off cyclones and storms, which wisp away and scatter into westerly currents. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 17 Dec. 2015 See all Example Sentences for wisp 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1753, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wisp was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near wisp

Cite this Entry

“Wisp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wisp. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

wisp

noun
ˈwisp
1
: a small bunch of hay or straw
2
a
: a thin piece or strand
b
: a faint streak
a wisp of smoke
c
: something weak, slight, or delicate
a wisp of a smile
wispy
ˈwis-pē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on wisp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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