Wafters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thin, crisp cookie or confection often used for layering or as a topping in desserts
2. A lightweight structure or a frame made for the purposes of providing support or holding items together
3. A person or thing that moves lightly or nimbly, often in an airy manner, suggesting delicacy or insubstantiality

Etymology: The word "wafters" is simply the plural of "wafter," and the story of the singular is unusual. The "wafter" in question is not related to the verb "waft," which describes something drifting through the air. Instead, the noun is an alteration of Middle English "waughter," borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German "wachter," meaning "a guard," itself derived from a verb meaning "to guard." A sentry and a light frame share an ancestor. The modern sense is a long way from the original. Early on, the word named a watchman or guard, and over time its meaning shifted. The later "waft" connection came in through the form of the noun, which was then reshaped to look like the verb it resembled. The result is a term for a thin supporting frame, rooted in the idea of keeping watch.

Synonyms: thin cookies, crisps