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."
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:
Chasing the oat-bran health trend with an oat-bran pretzel was a flop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Shreiber’s son, Lindsay, said it wasn’t that his father had a particular fondness for the soft pretzel.
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
“When I think of Pennsylvania pretzel culture, I particularly think of the all-natural, handmade sourdough pretzel,” Skolnick states.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
Akimi nibbled a couple of chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
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
Hager has sold roughly 4,000 German pretzels since the tournament began.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Who wants to sit there at the watch party and say, You know, the U.S. men haven’t beaten a world Top 10 team in more than a decade, please pass the pretzels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 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
She takes out serving dishes from the cabinet, and I pour the pretzels and nuts into separate bowls while she arranges the crackers around the chunk of cheese in the middle of a small tray.
From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson
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.
