wiftv.
/wɪft/, U.S. /wɪft/ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel in specific course or direction > direct one's course [verb (intransitive)] > stray or go astray
dwelec900
miswendOE
to fare astray (misliche, amiss)c1175
to step astray, awry, beside1297
weyec1315
outrayc1330
strayc1330
waivea1375
forvay1390
outwandera1400
stragglea1425
waverc1485
wander?1507
swerve1543
wift?a1560
random1561
estray1572
egar1584
to go a-strayinga1586
to step aside1787
err1819
moider1839
maverick1910
?a1560 in T. Wright Songs & Ballads Reign Philip & Mary (1860) 4 To walke the wurthy wayes, and frame them not to wyfft.
2. intransitive. To move lightly to and fro; to drift. Chiefly with adverb, as on, around, etc. Also (occasionally) transitive: to cause to move in this way. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in specific manner > irregular movement or agitation > move irregularly or be agitated [verb (intransitive)] > wave in the wind
rotec1330
waive1338
waverc1440
wafterc1450
wave1487
to waver with or in the windc1503
streama1560
flaunt1576
wift1609
fly1659
waff1834
flare1837
the world > movement > progressive motion > specific manner of progressive motion > move progressively in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > without effort
drift1822
wift1864
shimmy1923
1609 P. Holland tr. Ammianus Marcellinus Rom. Hist. xvi. v. 63 Dragons, wrought with woufe of purple thred,..leaving their winding tailes to wift in the wind.
1864 Harland's Lancs. Lyrics (1866) 234 An' tell me, while thae 'rt wiftin' on, Heaw things are deawn i' Howden Dale.
1911 Outing Apr. 16/2 They sat firmly holding their places,..their black hair blown and whifted by the wind.
2006 ‘J. D. Robb’ in Bump in Night 58 I don't need to think about one wifting around sending me messages from beyond.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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v.?a1560