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
Chicken and Waffles: funnel cake style waffles with syrup. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024 The kids specials include a waffle, a scrambled eggs breakfast, macaroni and cheese, and chicken tenders. Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 What’s distinct about it is the waffle pattern embossed in the paper, also known as a Z grill. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 According to Vermont distillery WhistlePig, there are three main food groups: whiskey, waffles, and Maple Old Fashioneds. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024 The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace charges up to $84.99 a head for a mind-boggling spread (Filipino congee, red-velvet waffles, an omelette bar, birria tacos). Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024 Pour about 1/4 cup batter per waffle in center of waffle iron. Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024 Dig into one of these delicious ideas for eggs, waffles, pancakes, and more! Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Mar. 2024 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
Verb
Even as narratives about the U.S. economy among top experts have waffled between jubilant relief and stubborn concern that the best of this business cycle was finished, in the aggregate the labor market has consistently been vibrant since 2022; almost uneventfully so. Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024 But previous projects have been delayed by zoning trouble, waffling developers, and poor local infrastructure. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024 For years, Idaho officials have waffled on their support for funding that would feed low-income children over the summer. Ian Max Stevenson and, Idaho Statesman, 29 Mar. 2024 Nikki Haley is bringing in a coalition of voters who are waffling about Trump. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 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

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 18 Apr. 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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