wafer

1 of 2

noun

wa·​fer ˈwā-fər 

plural wafers

1

a

: a thin crisp cake, candy, or cracker

b

: a round thin piece of unleavened bread used in the celebration of the Eucharist

2

: an adhesive disk of dried paste with added coloring matter used as a seal

3

a

: a thin disk or ring resembling a wafer and variously used (as for a valve or diaphragm)

b

: a thin slice of semiconductor (such as silicon) used as a base for an electronic component or circuit

wafer-like

ˈwā-fər-ˌlīk 

adjective

or less commonly waferlike

wafer-like cookies

a wafer-like electronic sensor

wafer

2 of 2

verb

wafered; wafering ˈwā-f(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to seal, close, or fasten with a wafer

2

: to divide (something, such as a silicon rod) into wafers

Examples of wafer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This vanilla wafer cake uses crushed up vanilla wafers instead of all-purpose flour to build the base of the cake. —Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2025

Klinger also points out that this era marks the birth of the sleeping pill, the Communion wafer of the new century, with all its attendant miseries. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025

Verb

Stir in vanilla wafers with a silicone spatula in two additions, alternating with milk, mixing just until combined. —Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2025

Yet is is uncannily similar to its neighbor behind the glass: A brass Eucharistic dove with Limoges enamel, circa 1210 or so – a flap on the vessel used for passage of communion wafers rather than a cell phone. —Miles Socha, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French wafer, walfre, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch wafele waffle

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1748, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wafer

• wafer-thin

Kids Definition

wafer

noun

wa·​fer

ˈwā-fər

1

a

: a thin crisp cake or cracker

b

: a round thin piece of bread used in the sacrament of Communion

2

: something (as a piece of candy or a computer chip) resembling a wafer especially in thin round form

Medical Definition

wafer

noun

wa·​fer ˈwā-fər 

: cachet