doughboy
Americannoun
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Informal. an American infantryman, especially in World War I.
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a rounded mass of dough, boiled or steamed as a dumpling or deep-fried and served as a hot bread.
noun
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informal an infantryman, esp in World War I
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dough that is boiled or steamed as a dumpling
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
Vocabulary lists containing doughboy
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.
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
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
The monument is one of 140 doughboy statues created by Ernest Moore “Dick” Viquesney.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 31, 2017
"Yes, sir, we certainly did see some aeroplanes," said a doughboy.
From The A.E.F. With General Pershing and the American Forces by Heywood Broun
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.
