doughboy

American  

[doh-boi] / ˈdoʊˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. Informal. an American infantryman, especially in World War I.

2. a rounded mass of dough, boiled or steamed as a dumpling or deep-fried and served as a hot bread.

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doughboy British  

/ ˈdəʊˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. informal an infantryman, esp in World War I

2. dough that is boiled or steamed as a dumpling

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Etymology

Origin of doughboy

1675–85; dough + boy; sense “infantryman,” from mid-1860s, is obscurely derived; two plausible, but unsubstantiated claims: doughboy originally referred to the globular brass buttons on infantry uniforms, likened to the pastry; dough referred to a clay used to clean the white uniform belts

Example Sentences

Boldúman –a German doughboy with Catalan flair, ridiculous and adorable– is one of Barcelona’s best stories, seldom heard beyond its borders.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

There is circumstantial evidence that the Pillsbury doughboy, the brand’s seminal mascot, was first drawn by a Springfield plant manager who eschewed credit, not, as the company maintains, in a Chicago ad agency.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 23, 2023

Charlie Chaplin’s 1918 short “Shoulder Arms” featured a clumsy doughboy rescuing a French girl while on a secret mission; King Vidor’s 1925 epic “The Big Parade” braided battle scenes and courtship rituals.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2023

The country’s vaccine mascot, Zé Gotinha — he looks like the Pillsbury doughboy on a diet — is an ever-present figure.

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2021

His officers began their course with a battalion of French troops to aid them, and they were put into company formation, of about 75 men to the company, just as the humble doughboy was.

From Our Army at the Front by Broun, Heywood