/ wɒft; NAmE wɑːft; wæft/ verb , noun
■ verb
[+ adv. / prep. ] to move, or make sth move, gently through the air
SYN drift :
[ v ]
The sound of their voices wafted across the lake.
Delicious smells wafted up from the kitchen.
[ vn ]
The scent of the flowers was wafted along by the breeze.
■ noun
( formal ) a smell or a line of smoke carried through the air :
wafts of perfume / smoke
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WORD ORIGIN
early 16th cent. (in the sense escort a ship ): back-formation from obsolete wafter (used only by opponents of the practice) armed convoy vessel , from Low German , Dutch wachter , from wachten to guard. A sense convey by water gave rise to the current use of the verb.