Danish
Americanadjective
noun
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a North Germanic language, the language of Denmark, closely related to Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic. Dan, Dan.
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(sometimes lowercase) Danish pastry.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Danish
First recorded before 900; Middle English, alteration of Denshe, Danshe, Dench (by influence of Dan “(a) Dane”), Old English Denisc , from Germanic daniskaz; see origin at Dane, -ish 1
Explanation
A danish is a sweet breakfast roll filled with custard, jam, or marzipan. If you're invited to brunch at a friend's house, she'll be happy to see you arrive with a box of danishes. If you order coffee and a danish at a diner, you'll get a flaky, buttery pastry topped with cheese or fruit — not a person from Denmark. The word is short for "danish pastry," which is actually called wienerbrød, or "Viennese bread" in Denmark. The popular history of the danish involves a strike by Danish bakery workers which led bakeries to hire Austrian bakers, who brought their own recipes for pastries rich with butter and egg.
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.
I was reminded of that column yesterday when I spoke with Mike Doustdar, CEO of Novo Nordisk, the 103-year-old Danish drugmaker behind diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The Danish company developed the most lucrative new drug the world had ever seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Inside Novo’s offices, factories and headquarters — which is designed in the shape of an insulin molecule — a Danish ethos of humbleness rules, analysts and former employees say.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The Danish drugmaker continues to rely on the success of semaglutide, branded as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
“I do enjoy a good Danish pastry, though.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
