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

While it's not connected to a certain state, no one from Texas to Virginia can resist this homemade dish with layers of vanilla wafer cookies, banana slices, vanilla custard homemade, and fluffy meringue. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 24 Dec. 2024

The law has a significant effect on apparel made with Xinjiang cotton (about 80% of Chinese cotton) and solar panels, most of which contain polysilicon ingots and wafers made in Xinjiang. —Michael Posner, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Verb

Get The Recipe There are two things that distinguish this vanilla wafer crumb crust from all others: browned butter, which binds it together, and nutmeg, which adds just the right amount of warmth. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024

This is often called polycrystalline silicon, in contrast to the monocrystalline (single crystals) wafers that semiconductors are made on. —Willy Shih, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024

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