bagel
Americannoun
-
bagels
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bagel
1930–35; < Yiddish beygl; compare dialectal German Beugel < Germanic *baug- ring ( see bee 2) + *-il- noun suffix
Compare meaning
How does bagel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A bagel is a kind of baked good made by boiling and then baking a circle of dough until the inside is chewy and the outside is slightly crisp. New York is famous for having many great bagel shops. A bagel is a traditional Jewish roll that's shaped like a doughnut and often served sliced in half, toasted, and spread with butter or cream cheese. New Yorkers claim that their city has the best bagels in the world, although Montreal is also known for its delicious bagels. The word is from the Yiddish beygl, with an Old High German root, boug, or "ring," which describes a bagel's shape.
Vocabulary lists containing bagel
More English Words Derived from Yiddish
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for December 4–December 10, 2021
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Red pepper flakes and everything bagel seasoning cover the remaining territory — heat, funk, nuttiness, crunch — in a few economical shakes.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Listen, a bagel dog with a recent indie movie?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Federer had beaten Nadal in four sets in the 2006 Wimbledon final - including a first-set bagel - and five sets 12 months later.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
She’s one of us, a fan of an onion bagel for breakfast, even if it makes her breath stink.
From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026
Molly spilled the salt packet into the bottom of the bag and dipped a hunk of bagel into it before popping it into her mouth.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
The shop serves single-origin coffee from Ventura’s Beacon Coffee and breakfast sandwiches featuring house-made bagels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Even on set, a background person would approach her, wondering if there’s any more plain bagels at craft service.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The lobby was packed with guests for the morning spread of eggs, sausage, french toast, pastries, fruit, yogurt, bagels and the aforementioned waffles and toast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
A subway station near Madison Square Garden has been given a Knicks-themed makeover, and businesses across New York City's five boroughs are offering meal deals and special orange-and-blue ice-cream and bagels.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
The three of them stopped at the wide aisle of frozen foods and started taking inventory: black bean soup, lunch rolls, pizzas, bagels, pizza bagels, tripe, codfish, catfish, I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-fish fish.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
