I. ˈwisp noun
Etymology: Middle English
Date: 13th century
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
• wisp·i·ly ˈwis-pə-lē adverb
• wisp·i·ness ˈwis-pē-nəs noun
• wispy ˈwis-pē adjective
II. verb
Date: 1753
transitive verb
1. : to roll into a wisp
2. : to make wisps of
a cigarette wisp ing smoke at the corner of his mouth — Raymond Chandler
intransitive verb
: to emerge or drift in wisps
her hair began to wisp into her eyes — Mary Manning