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

Corning has committed to building a multi-gigawatt wafer facility in Richland Township, Michigan, while Qcells is ramping up a 3GW wafer and cell factory in Georgia. —Davor Sutija, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

The risk of hard Nilla wafers or utterly soggy ones is too great to justify ordering it at any restaurant, willy nilly. —Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025

Verb

Place vanilla wafers in a large zip-top bag and gently crush with a rolling pin, breaking down any large pieces as much as possible. —Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2025

Butter brings necessary fat but also moisture to the cake, which helps incorporate the powder of vanilla wafers into the batter. —Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2025

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

Rhymes for wafer

• chafer
• safer

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