wisp

A wisp is a small, thin fragment or strand. It can describe material such as a wisp of straw, a wisp of hair, or a wisp of thread. It can also refer to a small amount of something, as in a wisp of smoke, a wisp of fog, or a wisp of vapor. The term conveys delicacy and slightness.

The word comes from Old English and has historically referred to a bundle or cluster, especially of straw or hay. In English, wisp is used both as a noun for a physical fragment and as a metaphor for a trace or hint that is hard to pin down.

In folklore, a related sense appears in the will-o'-the-wisp, a ghostly light reported to hover over marshes and mislead travelers. The phenomenon has been explained in various ways, from atmospheric gases to heat mirages, but in literature it commonly serves as a symbol of illusion, temptation, or a pursuit that yields little.

In contemporary prose, wisps and wispy describe something slender and delicate, such as wispy clouds, wispy hair, or a wispy trail of smoke. The term remains a versatile descriptor in science, nature writing, and storytelling.