doughnut
Americannoun
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a small cake of sweetened or, sometimes, unsweetened dough fried in deep fat, typically shaped like a ring or, when prepared with a filling, a ball.
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anything shaped like a thick ring; an annular object; toroid.
noun
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a small cake of sweetened dough, often ring-shaped or spherical with a jam or cream filling, cooked in hot fat
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anything shaped like a ring, such as the reaction vessel of a thermonuclear reactor
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of doughnut
Explanation
A doughnut is a delicious, deep-fried breakfast treat. Most doughnuts are round and have a hole in the center. Some have frosting and sprinkles, too. You can also call a doughnut a donut, a slightly more common way to spell it in North America. There are different types of doughnuts, but they're all made of sweet dough that's usually fried (but sometimes baked). Many bakeries that specialize in doughnuts also sell doughnut holes, small enough to pop in your mouth. The very earliest doughnuts were probably the olykoek, or "oil cakes" brought to New York by 19th century Dutch settlers.
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.
Charlesworth is working on expanding sales through Walmart and other big retailers, while increasing efficiency and hiring the human doughnut artists Krispy Kreme needs to hook consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
After being taken private in 2020, coffee and doughnut chain Dunkin’ is set to return to the public market — and it’s bringing a few friends.
From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026
His first statewide ad emphasized his hometown roots and concerns faced by Californians, including rising costs at his favorite doughnut shop in his hometown of Dublin.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
"I didn't really know what a cake or a doughnut or a brownie was until I started having after-school parties in California," she says.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
She’s eating a doughnut covered with powdered sugar; the sugar has come off on her nose.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
