wisp

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

wisp
    n 1: a small tuft or lock; "wisps of hair"
    2: a small person; "a mere wisp of a girl"
    3: a small bundle of straw or hay
    4: a flock of snipe

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Wisp \Wisp\, n. [OE. wisp, wips; probably akin to D. & G. wisch,
   Icel. visk, and perhaps to L. virga a twig, rod. Cf. {Verge}
   a rod, {Whisk}, n.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. A small bundle, as of straw or other like substance.
      [1913 Webster]

            In a small basket, on a wisp of hay.  --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A whisk, or small broom.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A Will-o'-the-wisp; an ignis fatuus.
      [1913 Webster]

            The wisp that flickers where no foot can tread.
                                                  --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Wisp \Wisp\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Wisped}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Wisping}.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To brush or dress, an with a wisp.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To rumple. [Prov. Eng.] --Halliwell.
      [1913 Webster]

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

Wisp

   ["An Experiment with a Self-Compiling Compiler for a Simple
   List-Processing Language", M.V. Wilkes, Ann Rev Automatic
   Programming 4:1-48.  (1964)].

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

72 Moby Thesaurus words for "wisp":
      autoluminescence, bantam, banty, batch, bioluminescence, bunch,
      button, cathode luminescence, chemicoluminescence,
      chemiluminescence, chit, clump, cluster, copse, corposant, crop,
      crystalloluminescence, diminutive, double corposant,
      electroluminescence, fata morgana, featherweight, fingerling,
      fluorescence, fox fire, group, grouping, groupment, grove, hassock,
      ignis fatuus, knot, lightweight, lot, luciferase, luciferin,
      luminescence, luminophor, marshfire, mess, mini, minikin, minnow,
      minny, mouse, noctiluscence, nubbin, peewee, phosphor,
      phosphorescence, photoluminescence, pony, radioluminescence, runt,
      shock, shrimp, slew, slip, small fry, snip, snippet, stook,
      thermoluminescence, thicket, tit, tribofluorescence,
      triboluminescence, tribophosphorescence, tuft, tussock, wart,
      witch fire

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