waif
[noun]
Synonyms: stray, foundling, orphan

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

waif /weɪf/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: (adjective), 'lost, unclaimed', from a Scandinavian language]

1. someone, especially a child, who is pale and thin and looks as if they do not have a home

2. waifs and strays British English children or animals who do not have a home:
She loved cats, and would take any waifs and strays into her home.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲