doughnut

American  

[doh-nuht, -nuht] / ˈdoʊ nət, -ˌnʌt /

Or donut

noun

1. 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.

2. anything shaped like a thick ring; an annular object; toroid.

---

doughnut British  

/ ˈdəʊnʌt /

noun

1. a small cake of sweetened dough, often ring-shaped or spherical with a jam or cream filling, cooked in hot fat

2. anything shaped like a ring, such as the reaction vessel of a thermonuclear reactor

---

verb

1. informal (tr) (of Members of Parliament) to surround (a speaker) during the televising of Parliament to give the impression that the chamber is crowded or the speaker is well supported

Etymology

Origin of doughnut

First recorded in 1795–1805; dough + nut

Example Sentences

"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

A "chocolate doughnut Easter egg" triggers curiosity - a shell blended with shortbread and fudge pieces, topped with sprinkles.

From BBC

These plasma clumps are carried along by the star's magnetic field, forming a doughnut shaped structure called a torus.

From Science Daily

In the morning, you can buy coffee and doughnuts, and vendors will offer food and garden products from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times

A ball has no hole, while a doughnut has one.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• bun
• pastry