What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Waif vs Wair - What's the difference?

waif | wair |

As nouns the difference between waif and wair

is that waif is goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice while wair is a plank 6 feet long and 1 foot across.

As a verb wair is

to spend.

waif

English

(Webster 1913)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) Goods found of which the owner is not known; originally, such goods as a pursued thief threw away to prevent being apprehended, which belonged to the king unless the owner made pursuit of the felon, took him, and brought him to justice.
  • (obsolete) Hence, anything found, or without an owner; that which comes along, as it were, by chance.
  • A wanderer; a castaway; a stray; a homeless child.
  • * 1912 : (Edgar Rice Burroughs), (Tarzan of the Apes), Chapter 5
    • Tenderly Kala nursed her little waif , wondering silently why it did not gain strength and agility as did the little apes of other mothers. It was nearly a year from the time the little fellow came into her possession before he would walk alone, and as for climbing--my, but how stupid he was!
  • A plant that has been introduced but is not persistently naturalized.

    • Related terms

    * waive

    See also

    * waft

    wair

    English

    Etymology 1

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A plank 6 feet long and 1 foot across.

    • Etymology 2

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (Scotland, obsolete) To spend.
  • * 1826 , Mungo Ponton Brown, Supplement to the Dictionary of the Decisions of the Court of Session , Volume 3, Edinburgh, page 569,
    • .
  • * 1831 [1566], , page 94,
    • We shall maintain them, nourish them, and defend them, the whole congregation of Christ, and every member thereof, at our whole powers and wairing [spending] of our lives, against Satan, and all wicked power that does intend tyranny or trouble against the foresaid congregation.
  • * 1841 , William Alexander, An Abridgement of the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland , 1424—1707, page 243,
    • Reserving alwayes to the Sheriff or other Magistrates, and taker of the Thief, the expences waired out by them in taking and putting the Thief to execution.

    Etymology 3

    Verb

    (head)
  • (were)
  • * 1897 , , 2007, page 18,
    • We didn't al'ays stay here, but wair' on the wing here and thar where game was most plentiful, and often in company with the Mingoes, who ' wair our sworn fri'nds an' allies.

    References

    ----