Whidah-bird. See Whydah.
Whiff, hwif, n. a sudden puff of air or smoke from the mouth: a slight blast: a light kind of outrigger boat: (prov.) a glimpse.—v.t. to throw out in whiffs: to puff.—v.i. to go out or off in a whiff.—ns. Whiff′er; Whiff′et, a whipper-snapper.—v.i. Whiff′le, to veer about, blow in gusts: to be fickle: to prevaricate: to talk idly.—n. a fickle, light-headed person.—ns. Whiff′ler, a fickle person: a herald, usher, piper, leading the way in a procession; Whiff′lery, levity; Whift, a breath, snatch. [W. chwiff, a puff; imit.]
Whiff, hwif, v.i. to fish with a hand-line.—n. Whiff′ing. [Whip.]
Whiffletree, hwif′l-trē, n. a swingletree.—Also Whip′pletree. [From whifle, to turn. Cf. Whiff.]
Whig, hwig, n. the name, since 1830 almost superseded by 'Liberal,' of one of the great English political parties: a Scotch Presbyterian, first so called in the middle of the 17th century: (U.S.) one of those who in the colonial period were opposed to British rule: one of the survivors of the old National Republican party, first so called in 1834—it died in 1852.—adj. composed of Whigs—also Whig′gish.—n. Whig′garchy, government by Whigs.—adv. Whig′gishly.—ns. Whig′gism, Whig′gery, Whig′gishness, Whig′ship, Whig principles. [Prob. short for whiggamore.]
Whig, hwig, v.i. (Scot.) to jog along.
Whig, hwig, n. (prov.) sour whey, buttermilk.
Whiggamore, hwig′a-mōr, n. originally a person who came from the west and south-west of Scotland to Leith to buy corn: one of the 7000 Western Covenanters who marched on Edinburgh in 1648, sealing the doom of Charles I.: a Scotch Presbyterian, a Whig. [Traced by some to whiggam, a sound used by the peasantry of the western Lowlands in driving their horses; others derive from whig, sour whey. Not derivable from whig (1) and Gael. mor, great.]
Whigmaleerie, hwig-ma-lē′ri, n. (Scot.) a trinket, knick-knack: a whim. [Orig. uncertain.]
While, hwīl, n. a space of time: trouble spent.—adv. during the time that: at the same time that, as long as.—v.t. to cause to pass without irksomeness (with away).—conjs. While, Whilst, as long as: at the same time that: (Shak.) until; Whiles (B.), while, at the same time that.—adv. (Scot.) at times (orig. gen. of A.S. hwíl).—advs. Whī′lom, Whī′lome (Milt.), formerly, once (orig. dat. pl. of A.S. hwíl, time).—Every once in a while, now and then; The while (Shak.), in the meantime; The whilst (Shak.), while: in the meantime; Worth while, worth the trouble and time taken. [A.S. hwíl; Goth. hweila, Ger. weile.]