wafer

1 of 2

noun

wa·​fer ˈwā-fər How to pronounce wafer (audio)
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 adjective
or less commonly waferlike
wafer-like cookies
a wafer-like electronic sensor

wafer

2 of 2

verb

wafered; wafering ˈwā-f(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce wafer (audio)

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Meat, canola oil, and, uh, biscuits and wafers account for most of the U.S. imports from Canada, but 20 percent of this country’s fresh-vegetable imports come from there, too. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2025 Engineers can bond gallium arsenide dies or small wafers to silicon waveguides, then build the lasers on top, a process that requires specialized equipment and results in material waste. IEEE Spectrum, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
Germanium substrates wafers at a Umicore facility in Olen, Belgium. Maddie Stone, WIRED, 15 Feb. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for wafer

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wafer was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Wafer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wafer. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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 How to pronounce wafer (audio)
: cachet

More from Merriam-Webster on wafer

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