waif
/weɪf/noun
1- a homeless and helpless person, especially a neglected or abandoned child无家可归者; 流浪儿（尤指被遗弃的孩子）：
she is foster-mother to various waifs and strays.
她收养了多个弃儿和流浪儿。
1.1
- a person who appears thin or poorly nourished瘦人; 营养不良的人。
1.2
- an abandoned pet animal无主宠物。
派生词
waifish
adjectivewaiflike
adjective词源
late Middle English: from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old Northern French gaif, probably of Scandinavian origin. Early use was often in waif and stray, as a legal term denoting a piece of property found and， if unclaimed， falling to the lord of the manor.