wisp
/wɪsp/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɪsp] /wɪsp/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɪsp] /ˈwisp How to pronounce wisp (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wisp — noun
- wispsingular
- wispsplural
1. a very narrow piece of smoke, cloud, steam, or similar matter that drifts lightl
a very narrow piece of smoke, cloud, steam, or similar matter that drifts lightly through the air.
A wisp of smoke rose from the pan after the butter burned.
pattern: a wisp of smoke
At sunrise, wisps of cloud floated above the dark hills.
A pale wisp of steam escaped when Soraya opened the rice cooker.
From the candle, a thin wisp drifted toward the ceiling.
用法筆記
Usually followed by 'of' plus what is floating, especially smoke, cloud, or steam.
2. a small, soft strand or tuft of hair, grass, or another light material.
a small, soft strand or tuft of hair, grass, or another light material.
A wisp of hair stuck to Diya's cheek in the wind.
pattern: a wisp of hair
The cat carried a wisp of dry grass into the kitchen.
Christopher brushed a silver wisp from the jacket before the photo.
One soft wisp hung over the baby's ear after the bath.
用法筆記
This sense is for something thin and delicate that you can see as one small strand or lock, not something floating in the air.
3. a little bunch of straw, hay, or similar dry plant material held together.
a little bunch of straw, hay, or similar dry plant material held together.
The farmer lit a dry wisp to start the wood stove.
pattern: a dry wisp
Esteban stuffed a wisp of straw into the scarecrow's sleeve.
pattern: a wisp of straw
The horse pulled a wisp from the bale and chewed slowly.
A loose wisp of hay lay under the rabbit cage.
用法筆記
This older concrete sense is mainly used for straw, hay, and other dry plant matter gathered in a tiny bunch.
wisp — verb
- wisppresent simple I / you / we / they
- wisps3rd person singular
- wisping-ing form
- wispedpast simple
1. to roll or gather something into a small, thin strip or tuft.
to roll or gather something into a small, thin strip or tuft.
The cook wisped the paper towel into a tight point.
pattern: wisp something into a shape
Liang wisped the wool into thin strands for the doll.
Tuan wisped the ribbon into curls for the costume.
The florist wisped the twine into a narrow loop for the tag.
文法句型
wisp + noun phrase + into + shape
用法筆記
This rare verb focuses on shaping one thing into a narrow tuft or strip by hand.
2. to make something separate into thin, light strips or fibers.
to make something separate into thin, light strips or fibers.
The blast wisped the paper into strips across the yard.
result: material breaks into thin pieces
Years of sun had wisped the rope into loose fibers.
Constant rubbing wisped the cloth at the elbows.
Salt and wind had wisped the net into ragged threads.
文法句型
wisp + noun phrase + into + pieces
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense emphasizes material breaking or wearing into wispy pieces rather than being shaped deliberately.
3. to appear or move in thin, light streams through the air.
to appear or move in thin, light streams through the air.
Smoke wisped from the chimney after the morning fire was lit.
intransitive: smoke wisped from
Steam wisped from the soup as Pedro carried it inside.
Mist wisped across the lake before the first boat arrived.
Incense wisped through the temple door before the ceremony began.
文法句型
wisp + from + place
wisp + across + place
用法筆記
This is the most image-based verb sense and is mainly used in literary description of smoke, steam, or mist.