pretzel
Americannoun
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a crisp, dry biscuit, usually in the form of a knot or stick, salted on the outside.
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a larger version of this, made of soft, chewy bread dough.
noun
Usage
What does pretzel logic mean? Pretzel logic is an expression used to describe someone's "twisted reasoning."
Etymology
Origin of pretzel
1815–25, < German Pretzel, variant of Bretzel; Old High German brizzila < Medieval Latin bracellus bracelet
Explanation
A pretzel is a crispy snack or a soft, baked good. Both kinds of pretzel usually have a distinctive, knot-like, twisted shape. Pretzels are salty snack foods, so you'll find them alongside potato chips and popcorn in the grocery store. Pretzels that come in a bag are crisp and small, while the soft kind is often sold from food carts and topped with mustard. The pretzel was originally a German invention, so it makes sense that the word comes from the German Brezel, which is rooted in the Medieval Latin brachitella, "biscuit in the shape of folded arms."
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.
And when I returned in the fall of 2023 to watch Pretzel again, the feeling nagged at me that maybe I could.
From Slate • Apr. 8, 2025
Announced on both X/Twitter and Instagram, Auntie Anne's Pretzels has debuted its new fragrance, "Knead: Eau De Pretzel."
From Salon • Aug. 7, 2024
He conceived of a food truck catering company that would serve those little doughnuts, fresh and warm in a tray topped with bits and bobs in combinations called S’mores or Salted Caramel Pretzel.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2024
Olivia Laskowski with her cat, Pretzel, at home in Brooklyn on Thursday.
From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2023
She rose quickly, and Pretzel for once was forgotten, and rolled from her knees to the grass, falling upon all-fours with a pathetic little squeak.
From Greifenstein by Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
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.
