Wafery
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A kitchen or building in which wafers and other pastries are prepared; the department of the royal household responsible for the preparation of wafers. historical, obsolete, uncountable
"1474, Ordinances for the Government of Prince Edward, Son of King Edward IV in A Collection of Ordinances and Regulations for the Government of the Royal Household Made in Divers Reigns, London: Society of Antiquaries, 1790, “Office of Greate Spycerye,” p. 80, One secundary clerke in this office of the greate spycery, sufficiaunt to resceive and trulye to keepe the Kinge’s stuffe of this office; and to wryte the dayly bookes of the delyveraunces thereof, and of all the other three offices, as it shall require; and he to awnswere to everye parcell of them into the counting-house, as for suger to the wafery, or to the sellare or kychyn, with all other manner of spices nedefull to the confectionarye and sawcerye […]"
- 1 Like a wafer (especially, thin, brittle, light).
"It is, however, much more dangerous to descend than to ascend a rapid; for it is then almost impossible to stop a canoe, when under full headway, and if you happen to strike a rock, you will find your wafery canoe no better than a sieve."
- 2 Sliced very thinly. (of bread)
"1864, Louisa M. Alcott, Boston: Loring, Chapter 5, p. 94, This was none of your stand-up, wafery, bread and butter teas, but a thorough-going, sit-down supper […]"
Example
More examples"1474, Ordinances for the Government of Prince Edward, Son of King Edward IV in A Collection of Ordinances and Regulations for the Government of the Royal Household Made in Divers Reigns, London: Society of Antiquaries, 1790, “Office of Greate Spycerye,” p. 80, One secundary clerke in this office of the greate spycery, sufficiaunt to resceive and trulye to keepe the Kinge’s stuffe of this office; and to wryte the dayly bookes of the delyveraunces thereof, and of all the other three offices, as it shall require; and he to awnswere to everye parcell of them into the counting-house, as for suger to the wafery, or to the sellare or kychyn, with all other manner of spices nedefull to the confectionarye and sawcerye […]"
Etymology
From Middle English waaffery, probably from wafre + -ie (equivalent to wafer + -y). Compare Medieval Latin wafria, French wafrie.
From wafer + -y.
Related phrases
More for "wafery"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.