Adjacent Words

waffle definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: pancake batter baked in a waffle iron v
1: pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness; "Authorities hesitate to quote exact figures" [syn: hesitate, waver, waffle]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Dutch wafel, from Middle Dutch wafele; akin to Old High German waba honeycomb, Old English wefan to weave Date: 1744 a crisp cake of batter baked in a waffle iron II. intransitive verb (waffled; waffling) Etymology: frequentative of obsolete woff to yelp, of imitative origin Date: 1868 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 point — Times Literary Supplement> • waffler noun III. noun Date: circa 1888 empty or pretentious words ; tripe

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. esp. Brit. colloq. --n. verbose but aimless or ignorant talk or writing. --v.intr. indulge in waffle. Derivatives: waffler n. waffly adj. Etymology: orig. dial., frequent. of waff = yelp, yap (imit.) 2. n. esp. US a small crisp batter cake. Phrases and idioms: waffle-iron a utensil, usu. of two shallow metal pans hinged together, for baking waffles. Etymology: Du. wafel, waefel f. MLG wafel: cf. WAFER

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Waffle Waffle, n. [D. wafel. See Wafer.] 1. A thin cake baked and then rolled; a wafer. 2. A soft indented cake cooked in a waffle iron. Waffle iron, an iron utensil or mold made in two parts shutting together, -- used for cooking waffles over a fire.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(waffles, waffling, waffled) 1. If you say that someone waffles, you are critical of them because they talk or write a lot without actually making any clear or important points. (BRIT INFORMAL) My wife often tells me I waffle... There was some bloke on the phone waffling about an airline ticket. VERB: V, V about n [disapproval] • Waffle on means the same as waffle. Whenever I open my mouth I don't half waffle on... PHRASAL VERB: V P • Waffle is also a noun. He writes smug, sanctimonious waffle. 2. If someone waffles on an issue or question, they cannot decide what to do or what their opinion is about it. (AM) He's waffled on abortion and gay rights... He kept waffling and finding excuses not to close the deal. = waver VERB: V on/about/over n, V 3. A waffle is a kind of square cake made of batter with squares marked on it. Waffles are usually eaten with syrup poured over them. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

babble, back and fill, blab, blabber, blather, blether, blintz, buckwheat cake, bull, bullshit, chat, chatter, cheese blintz, clack, clatter, crepe, dither, dodge, drivel, drool, duck, equivocate, evade, flapcake, flapjack, gab, gabble, gas, gibber, gibble-gabble, go on, gossip, griddlecake, gush, haver, hem and haw, hot cake, hum and haw, jabber, jaw, mince the truth, mince words, natter, palacsinta, palaver, palter, pancake, parry, patter, piffle, pour forth, prate, prattle, prevaricate, ramble on, rattle, rattle on, reel off, run on, sidestep, spout, spout off, talk away, talk nonsense, talk on, tergiversate, tittle-tattle, twaddle, twattle, vapor, weasel, yak, yakkety-yak