Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Wafer

Wa′fer

,
Noun.
[OE.
wafre
, OF.
waufre
,
qaufre
, F.
qaufre
; of Teutonic origin; cf. LG. & D.
wafel
, G.
waffel
, Dan.
vaffel
, Sw.
våffla
; all akin to G.
wabe
a honeycomb, OHG.
waba
, being named from the resemblance to a honeycomb. G.
wabe
is probably akin to E.
weave
. See
Weave
, and cf.
Waffle
,
Gauffer
.]
1.
(Cookery)
A thin cake made of flour and other ingredients.
Wafers
piping hot out of the gleed.
Chaucer.
The curious work in pastry, the fine cakes,
wafers
, and marchpanes.
Holland.
A woman’s oaths are
wafers
– break with making
B. Jonson.
2.
(Eccl.)
A thin cake or piece of bread (commonly unleavened, circular, and stamped with a crucifix or with the sacred monogram) used in the Eucharist, as in the Roman Catholic Church.
3.
An adhesive disk of dried paste, made of flour, gelatin, isinglass, or the like, and coloring matter, – used in sealing letters and other documents.
Wafer cake
,
a sweet, thin cake.
Shak.
Wafer irons
, or
Wafer tongs
(Cookery)
,
a pincher-shaped contrivance, having flat plates, or blades, between which wafers are baked.
Wafer woman
,
a woman who sold wafer cakes; also, one employed in amorous intrigues.
Beau. & Fl.

Wa′fer

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Wafered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Wafering
.]
To seal or close with a wafer.

Webster 1828 Edition


Wafer

WAFER

, n.
1.
A thin cake or leaf; as a wafer of bread given by the Romanists in the Eucharist.
2.
A thin leaf of paste, or a composition of flour, the white of eggs, isinglass and yeast, spread over with gumwater and dried; used in sealing letters.

WAFER

,
Verb.
T.
To seal or close with a wafer.

Definition 2024


Wafer

Wafer

See also: wafer

German

Noun

Wafer m (genitive Wafers, plural Wafer)

  1. (electronics) wafer

Synonyms

  • Halbleiterscheibe

wafer

wafer

See also: Wafer

English

Some Nilla wafers.
A rolled wafer.
Communion wafers (on the right).

Noun

wafer (plural wafers)

  1. A light, thin, flat biscuit/cookie.
  2. (religion) A thin disk of consecrated unleavened bread used in communion.
  3. A soft disk originally made of flour, and later of gelatin or a similar substance, used to seal letters, attach papers etc.
    • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 202:
      The house supplied him with a wafer for his present purpose, with which, having sealed his letter, he returned hastily towards the brook side, in order to search for the things which he had there lost.
  4. (electronics) A thin disk of silicon or other semiconductor on which an electronic circuit is produced.

Derived terms

Synonyms

Translations

Verb

wafer (third-person singular simple present wafers, present participle wafering, simple past and past participle wafered)

  1. (transitive) To seal or close with a wafer.

French

Etymology

Borrowing from English wafer.

Noun

wafer m (plural wafers)

  1. wafer (electronic component)

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English wafer.

Noun

wafer m (invariable)

  1. wafer (biscuit and electronic component)

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowing from English wafer.

Noun

wafer m (plural wafers)

  1. wafer (type of biscuit)
  2. (electronics) wafer (disk on which an electronic circuit is produced)