pretzel
Americannoun
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a crisp, dry biscuit, usually in the form of a knot or stick, salted on the outside.
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a larger version of this, made of soft, chewy bread dough.
noun
Usage
What does pretzel logic mean? Pretzel logic is an expression used to describe someone's "twisted reasoning."
Etymology
Origin of pretzel
1815–25, < German Pretzel, variant of Bretzel; Old High German brizzila < Medieval Latin bracellus bracelet
Explanation
A pretzel is a crispy snack or a soft, baked good. Both kinds of pretzel usually have a distinctive, knot-like, twisted shape. Pretzels are salty snack foods, so you'll find them alongside potato chips and popcorn in the grocery store. Pretzels that come in a bag are crisp and small, while the soft kind is often sold from food carts and topped with mustard. The pretzel was originally a German invention, so it makes sense that the word comes from the German Brezel, which is rooted in the Medieval Latin brachitella, "biscuit in the shape of folded arms."
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.
Even if the free pizza was gone, attendees were still lining up for pretzel bites and beer cheese.
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Alongside soft pretzels, hard pretzels became a popular yet cheap bar snack thanks to Julius Sturgis, who founded the first commercial pretzel bakery in the town of Lititz, located in Lancaster County.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
The theater’s walk-up food window is serving pizza-inspired baked potatoes, a colored chocolate pretzel meant to mimic an asparagus pretzel wand, and more.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026
Lunch was a platter of french fries, a soft pretzel with cheese and Dippin’ Dots.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
A capsized tent floated past, its metal poles twisted like a pretzel.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
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.
