whiffle

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whiffle

/ˈ(h)wɪfl̩/

Rhymes with -ɪfəl

Where it comes from

1662, in sense “flutter as blown by wind”, as whiff + -le (“(frequentative)”) and (onomatopoeia) sound of wind, particularly a leaf fluttering in unsteady wind; compare whiff. Sense “something small or insignificant” is from 1680.

noun whiffles · wiffle

A short blow or gust.
Maine A male haircut done with electric clippers.
obsolete Something small or insignificant; a trifle.
obsolete A fife or small flute.

verb whiffles · whiffling · whiffled · wiffle

To blow a short gust.
To waffle, talk aimlessly.
UK To waste time.
To travel quickly with an accompanying wind-like sound; whizz, whistle along.
of a bird To descend rapidly from a height once the decision to land has been made, involving fast side-slipping first one way and then the other.
intransitive To waver, or shake, as if moved by gusts of wind; to shift, turn, or veer about. [S]ometimes it may happen that ſuch a Cloud may appear ſeveral Mornings and Evenings, and we may not feel the effects of it, or but very little; yet we always provide againſt it; for a North never comes without ſuch a foreboding Cloud. But if the VVinds also vvhiffle about to the South, with fair fl
transitive To wave or shake quickly; to cause to whiffle.
To change from one opinion or course to another; to use evasions; to prevaricate; to be fickle. [A] Perſon of whiffling and unſteady Turn of Mind, who cannot keep cloſe to a Point of Controverſy, […]
To disperse with, or as with, a whiff, or puff; to scatter. This is a plain and obvious ſenſe of this Promiſe, […] againſt ſuch as would whiffle away all theſe Truths by reſolving them into a mere moral Allegorie.

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MLA

"whiffle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/whiffle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

whiffle. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/whiffle

Chicago

"whiffle." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/whiffle.

BibTeX

@misc{whiffle_2026,
  title = {whiffle},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/whiffle},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}