waffle

1 of 3

noun (1)

waf·​fle ˈwä-fəl How to pronounce waffle (audio)
ˈwȯ-
: a crisp cake of batter baked in a waffle iron

waffle

2 of 3

verb

waffled; waffling ˈwä-f(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce waffle (audio)
ˈwȯ-

intransitive verb

1
: equivocate, vacillate
waffled on the important issues
also : yo-yo, flip-flop
2
: to talk or write foolishly : blather
can waffle … tiresomely off the pointThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
waffler noun

waffle

3 of 3

noun (2)

: empty or pretentious words : tripe

Examples of waffle in a Sentence

Verb she waffled when asked what she thought of her sister's new boyfriend
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Chick-fil-A is known for its chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and waffle fries – but its test kitchen is now offering customers an unexpected item to try: pizza. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 And if that doesn’t do the trick, the restaurant’s famous chicken and waffles will. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 The Hammel House Inn & Restaurant The brunch buffet at Hammel House is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature salmon, ham, French toast, waffles, poached eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and more. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 11 Mar. 2024 Plastic containers of pancake and waffle mix containing raw, unpasteurized eggs also were stored on the top rack above containers of strawberry puree, salsa verde and cooked crepes. Michael Braga, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 It’s tucked into a quiet corner of Gatlinburg, Tennessee—otherwise known as the Pancake Capital of the South—which boasts dozens of waffle and pancake houses to explore and savor. Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Dishes include shrimp and grits, sweet potato waffles and more. Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2024 Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings menu The menu is chicken-heavy; customer favorites include chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and chicken and waffles. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024 The chicken and waffles, found in club seating, is served with hot honey and a delicious maple syrup. David Wysong, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Bidding stayed consistent between primarily phone bidders and ended in the final moments as two bidders waffled around $47 million. Hannah Elliott, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023 Nintendo has been waffling about when and how to replace its enormously successful, but borderline ancient Nintendo Switch for a while now, and every new report seems to indicate that new hardware is getting pushed back even further. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Before the recipes were developed and added to restaurant menus (or magazines) around the globe, everything from barbecue chicken pizza to chicken and waffles cobb salad to sushirittos could be considered chaos cooking. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2023 Fat is your friend: Grease the iron liberally before waffling to prevent any stickage. Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 16 Aug. 2023 Hurricane Lee was at least 10 days out from landfall—eons in forecasting terms—and official forecasts were still waffling between the storm landing on major Northeast cities or missing them entirely. WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 Three of those employees say Lyft’s executives have also waffled over important decisions. Kellen Browning, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2023 But protesters say BlackRock has started to waffle on its environmental commitments while pollution and climate change worsen. Justine Calma, The Verge, 14 Sep. 2023 But, by making patriarchy the villain of the story, the movie glides over the decades in which Mattel, the company that makes Barbie, waffled on racial representation and the depiction of women’s professional roles. Alexandra Lange, The New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waffle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Dutch wafel, from Middle Dutch wafele; akin to Old High German waba honeycomb, Old English wefan to weave

Verb

frequentative of obsolete woff to yelp, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1744, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1868, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of waffle was in 1744

Dictionary Entries Near waffle

Cite this Entry

“Waffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waffle. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waffle

noun
waf·​fle
ˈwäf-əl,
ˈwȯf-
: a crisp cake with an indented crust made by cooking batter in a waffle iron

More from Merriam-Webster on waffle

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