noun
Uncommon
doughnut
DOH-nuht
Doughnut (noun) means a small, sweet, deep-fried piece of dough, usually ring-shaped or filled with jam or cream. Example: “He grabbed a glazed doughnut on his way to work.”
noun
1
A small, sweet, deep-fried piece of dough, usually ring-shaped or filled with jam or cream.
"He grabbed a glazed doughnut on his way to work."
"The bakery sells jam-filled doughnuts every morning."
2
Anything shaped like a ring or torus, such as a spare tyre or a skid mark made by spinning a car in a circle.
"The car spun a doughnut in the empty parking lot."
"He changed the flat and put on the doughnut spare."
How to use doughnut
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe ring-shaped fried pastry — also used for anything else shaped like a ring.
UK vs US
British English often spells it "doughnut"; American English commonly shortens it to "donut," especially in branding.
Common pairings
glazed doughnut
jam doughnut
do a doughnut (in a car)
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Word forms
- Plural
- doughnuts
- Third person singular
- doughnuts
- Past tense
- doughnutted, doughnuted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He grabbed a glazed _____ on his way to work.
Etymology
From dough plus nut — originally small, nut-sized fried dough balls; the now-familiar ring shape became standard in the 20th century. First recorded in Washington Irving's writing in 1809.
Class of 1809
doughnut joined the language around 1809.
See the full Class of 1809 →
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “doughnut” mean?
The word “doughnut” means a small, sweet, deep-fried piece of dough, usually ring-shaped or filled with jam or cream. In plain terms, the ring-shaped fried pastry — also used for anything else shaped like a ring.
How do you pronounce “doughnut”?
“Doughnut” is pronounced DOH-nuht (/ˈdoʊ(ˌ)nʌt/ in IPA).
How do you use “doughnut” in a sentence?
Here is “doughnut” used in a sentence: “He grabbed a glazed doughnut on his way to work.”
What part of speech is “doughnut”?
“Doughnut” is a noun.
Where does the word “doughnut” come from?
The word “doughnut” dates back to around 1809. From dough plus nut — originally small, nut-sized fried dough balls; the now-familiar ring shape became standard in the 20th century. First recorded in Washington Irving's writing in 1809.
Is “doughnut” a common word?
“Doughnut” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “doughnut” have?
“Doughnut” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, sweet, deep-fried piece of dough, usually ring-shaped or filled with jam or cream.
