What does "wafer" mean?
A light, thin, flat biscuit/cookie.
Wafer
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A light, thin, flat biscuit/cookie.
- Grammar: wafer is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adhesive, altar bread, biscuit, biscuit.
- Useful contrasts: bulk, ingot.
- Usage evidence: The parson gave the communion wafer to the dying person.
How to use "wafer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wafer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wafer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wafer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wafer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wafer" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adhesive" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wafer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A light, thin, flat biscuit/cookie.
"I was at the Mathematical School, where the Maſter taught his Pupils after a Method ſcarce imaginable to us in Europe. The Propoſition and Demonſtration were fairly written on a thin Wafer, with Ink compoſed of a Cephalick Tincture. This the Student was to ſwallow upon a faſting Stomach, and for three days following eat nothing but Bread and Water. As the Wafer digeſted, the Tincture mounted to his Brain, bearing the Propoſition along with it."
- 2 thin disk of unleavened bread used in a religious service (especially in the celebration of the Eucharist) wordnet
- 3 A thin disk of consecrated unleavened bread used in communion.
- 4 a small thin crisp cake or cookie wordnet
- 5 A soft disk originally made of flour, and later of gelatin or a similar substance, used to seal letters, attach papers etc.
"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."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a small adhesive disk of paste; used to seal letters wordnet
- 7 A thin disk of silicon or other semiconductor on which an electronic circuit is produced.
Verb
- 1 To seal or fasten with a wafer. transitive
"[M]y Father, who knew he was well, wafered the paragraph upon a sheet of paper, and sent to his Lodgings."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The parson gave the communion wafer to the dying person."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wafer"?
Common synonyms include: adhesive, altar bread, biscuit, biscuit, bread, bread and wine.
How do you use "wafer" in a sentence?
The parson gave the communion wafer to the dying person.
Etymology
From Middle English wafre, from Anglo-Norman wafre, waufre (Old French gaufre), from a Germanic source. Compare Middle Low German wāfel, Middle Dutch wafel (“honeycomb”), West Flemish wafer. See also waffle.