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WordWealth: waft
waft
(waft, wäft),
v.t.
1. to carry lightly
and smoothly through the air or over water: The gentle breeze
wafted the sound of music to our ears. 2. to send or
convey lightly, as if in flight: The actress wafted kisses to her
admirers in the audience. 3. Obs. to signal to,
summon, or direct by waving.
–v.i.
4. to float or be
carried, esp. through the air: The sound wafted on the breeze.
The music wafted across the lake.
–n.
5. a sound, odor,
etc., faintly perceived: a waft of perfume. 6. a
wafting movement; light current or gust: a waft of air. 7.
the act of wafting. 8. Also, waif.
Naut. a signal given by waving a flag.
[1535–45; back formation
from late ME waughter armed escort vessel < D or LG
wachter watchman; in some senses confused with
WAFF]
—waft  er,
n.
(Random
House Webster's Unabridged).
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Thesaurus
The word is that his input is not high. He is not a Ferguson or a
Wenger. He does not rage at the gods. He peers impassively from behind
his professor's
rimless specs.--The sadness now is that his style
promised so much. After the emotion-charged days of Kevin Keegan and
Graham Taylor, and the egocentricities of Glenn Hoddle, he was a
waft of common sense and sophistication. He rescued World Cup
qualification. He was in charge of a hallucinogenic night in Munich.
But the tail-off has been long and depressing.——James
Lawton, 'Eriksson's
Road Leads England to Oblivion';
Independent; Feb
14, 2003
Scientists believe they have discovered how a waft of
perfume or the strains of a familiar melody can evoke a vivid memory.
A study has located the precise region of the brain that appears to be
responsible for connecting an everyday sensation with something that
has happened in the past. The area, the CA3 region of the brain's
hippocampus, plays a critical role in the formation of memories that
can stay with a person for life.
—— Steve Connor, Science
Editor, 'Scientists
Discover How Smells Can Stir Memory'
Independent; June 05, 2002
These days, decaffeinated clients in leotards and yoga pants float
from meditation classes to renewal workshops, looking less like
ascetics than urbanites who have finally had a good night's sleep.
Though most guests stay for several days, the center is open to the
public and visitors can call ahead to book treatments like
aromatherapy ($75 for 50 minutes), facials ($85 for 60 minutes) and
stone therapy massage ($130 for 90 minutes). Or just waft into
the gift shop, where you can snap up rhinestoned yoga togs and all
manner of jewelry for your feet.
—— Michelle Green, 'JOURNEYS;
36 Hours, Lenox, Mass';
The New
York Times; Feb 21, 2003
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