bagel

noun

ba·​gel ˈbā-gəl 

plural bagels

1

: a firm doughnut-shaped roll traditionally made by boiling and then baking

2

[from the resemblance of a bagel to the zero in the score of such a set] tennis, slang : a set (see set entry 2 sense 15) in which one player or team wins every game

They were never in danger of losing, taking a 5-1 lead in the first set and registering a bagel in the second.

—Mike McGovern

Examples of bagel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The shop brings the soul of Long Island’s incredible deli culture upstate, with a menu packed with hot Italian heroes, cold subs, and bagel breakfast sandwiches. —Cat Sposato, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2025

Uncle Bud’s, a bagel’s throw away, is feeding kids 12 and under in needy families free of charge, Wednesday through Sunday, until the end of the government shutdown. —Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025

The Lox Bagel Shop Kevin and Jenna Crowley’s the Lox Bagel Shop proves that quintessential bagels aren’t limited to New York City—and that dedicating yourself to a single craft, much like a Japanese shokunin, can be incredibly rewarding. —Katie Chang, AFAR Media, 31 Oct. 2025

The bagels here are boiled and baked and come as Plain, Everything, Sesame and Fennel-and-Orange. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish beygl, from Middle High German *böugel ring, from bouc ring, from Old High German; akin to Old English bēag ring, būgan to bend — more at bow

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bagel

noun

ba·​gel ˈbā-gəl 

: a firm doughnut-shaped roll