Danish
Americanadjective
noun
-
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.
Many of the couches now being sold on Amazon or Wayfair are actually copies of Danish brand OMHU’s Teddy sofa, which is priced at just under $2,000.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026
The Danish renewable-energy company benefited from a high-quality performance in its offshore business, with growth driven by operating wind assets and not construction agreements, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The sale also marks the exit of Danish private equity investor CataCap, which had been the majority shareholder in AerFin.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
He added that the relevant Danish statutory research ethics bodies were unable to undertake the review.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The boy’s mother and father worked for a Danish relief organization in Kenya, and lived in a house in the town of Kisumu, on Lake Victoria.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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