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noun

wafer

WAY-fuh

Wafer (noun) means a thin, crisp, flat biscuit. Example: “She served the ice cream with a chocolate wafer on the side.”

noun
1
A thin, crisp, flat biscuit.
"She served the ice cream with a chocolate wafer on the side."
2
A thin disc of unleavened bread used in Christian communion.
"The priest raised the wafer during the service."
3
A thin slice of silicon used to manufacture electronic circuits.
"The factory produces thousands of silicon wafers a day for microchips."

How to use wafer

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA thin, flat, crisp item — could be a biscuit, a communion bread disc, or a slice of silicon in electronics.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
chocolate wafer silicon wafer communion wafer

Word forms

wafered past tense, wafers plural, wafers singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She served the ice cream with a chocolate _____ on the side.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman "wafre", from an older Germanic word related to a honeycomb pattern — the same root that gives us "waffle".

Origin: Germanic

Rhymes for wafer

See all rhymes for wafer →

Frequently asked questions

What does “wafer” mean?

The word “wafer” means a thin, crisp, flat biscuit. In plain terms, a thin, flat, crisp item — could be a biscuit, a communion bread disc, or a slice of silicon in electronics.

How do you pronounce “wafer”?

“Wafer” is pronounced WAY-fuh (/ˈweɪ̯fɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “wafer” in a sentence?

Here is “wafer” used in a sentence: “She served the ice cream with a chocolate wafer on the side.”

What part of speech is “wafer”?

“Wafer” is a noun.

Where does the word “wafer” come from?

The word “wafer” comes from Germanic. From Anglo-Norman "wafre", from an older Germanic word related to a honeycomb pattern — the same root that gives us "waffle".

How many meanings does “wafer” have?

“Wafer” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a thin, crisp, flat biscuit.

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