The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word RAGAMUFFIN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
R
A
G
A
M
U
F
F
I
N
More clues leading to the result RAGAMUFFIN
- Ruffian prepared to collar school urchin
- Wild child is kid getting a cake
- resultsUrchin’s bungled action limited by resistance once more
- Poor kid runs one more time to keep warmer
- Street child offering cake after performance in India?
- Waif finally wearing a warmer in bad weather
- Urchin in Agra struggling to find something to eat
- Revolting bad smell Ms Thurman? Fish? That’ll be the urchin
- Thug wanting bit of attention admitting twisting Trump’s slogan, wretched child
- Warmer in river, once more, for urchin
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Waif" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case waif = ragamuffin.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RAGAMUFFIN mean?
RAGAMUFFIN noun- A dirty, shabbily-clothed child; an urchin.
- A breed of domestic cat which is an offshoot from the Ragdoll.