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

See Examples For:

doughboy

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

As the World War I doughboy song goes: They have seen Par-ee and don’t wanna return to the family farm.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2022

Various countries also donated prizes, with the winner of the rifle shooting competition getting a statue from Pershing of an American doughboy in action during the war.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 1, 2020

At any other time he might have felt the pertinence of the suggestion, but here was a case where a doughboy captain, bedad, had instigated the measure for the comfort of his men.

From A Trooper Galahad by Charles King