Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: From the sound of a light movement of air carrying a smell

whiff

 noun
     
NEW! See related topics: ODOURS
whiff [countable]
1CO a very slight smell of something
whiff of
a whiff of tobacco
get/catch a whiff of something
As she walked past, I caught a whiff of her perfume.
2

a whiff of danger/adventure/freedom etc

a slight sign that something dangerous, exciting etc might happen:
The whiff of danger filled her with excitement.
WORD FOCUS: smell WORD FOCUS: smell
good smell: aroma, perfume, fragrance, scent
bad smell: stink, stench, odour British English/odor American English, whiff, pong British English

➔ See also smell
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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