waif vs nipper

waif and nipper both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
waif	Yes	No	No	No
nipper	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, nipper is a hypernym of waif; that is, nipper is a word with a broader meaning than waif:

Other hypernyms of waif include child, fry, kid, minor, nestling, shaver, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke, youngster.

waif (noun)	nipper (noun)
a homeless child especially one forsaken or orphaned	a grasping structure on the limb of a crustacean or other arthropods
	a young person of either sex