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 ▲