bagel

American  

[bey-guhl] / ˈbeɪ gəl /

noun

1. a leavened, doughnut-shaped, firm-textured roll, with a brownish glazed surface, made of dough first poached and then baked.

---

bagel British  

/ ˈbeɪɡəl /

noun

1. a hard ring-shaped bread roll, characteristic of Jewish baking

---

Etymology

Origin of bagel

1930–35; < Yiddish beygl; compare dialectal German Beugel < Germanic *baug- ring ( bee ² ) + *-il- noun suffix

Compare meaning

How does bagel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bialy vs. bagel

Example Sentences

It’s also excellent piled onto an everything bagel with a smear of avocado and a little lemon zest—proof that something can be both convenient and genuinely craveable.

From Salon

“It’s like when you go to Noah’s bagel in the afternoon,” Madannavar says, in reference to a popular California-based bagel chain.

From Barron's

His wife is Jewish, but he grew up eating bagels and lox long before that.

From Salon

Serve up on a toasted bagel for a classic preparation, top deviled eggs, or add to a seafood pasta.

From Salon

The result is an oversize, floppy version of a classic bagel with lox.

From The Wall Street Journal