pretzel
Americannoun
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pretzels
plural
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a crisp, dry biscuit, usually in the form of a knot or stick, salted on the outside.
-
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."
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Shreiber expanded by developing a raft of pretzel products and acquiring other brands and regional competitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Even if the free pizza was gone, attendees were still lining up for pretzel bites and beer cheese.
From Slate ● May 20, 2026
Their best-selling offering is an extra dark pretzel that’s slow-baked for a blackened finish.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
You can be a normal person who simply wants to watch a game in the sunshine while eating a pretzel and drinking a beer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
A lamppost had been broken in half like a pretzel stick.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
It’s easy to read the report and come away with the idea that eating too many granola bars or bags of pretzels could be doing harm to your family without you realizing it.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
It's a mammoth task: The vast majority of the city's 20,500 licensed food carts -- selling pretzels, peanuts and ice cream -- rely on generators to power stoves, freezers and ventilators.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
There’s an assortment of Hal’s chips, popcorn and pretzels, which were a nice snack on the train.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In Section 533 of Angel Stadium, high above the foul pole in right field, where fans enjoying pretzels and helmet nachos wore Angels caps and Mike Trout shirts, a kindly usher approached.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
“Hey, guys. Does one of you want to get me a bag of potato chips or pretzels from the bar inside?”
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
