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

Gluten-free diners should opt to not toast their bagel because the toaster is shared with full-gluten bagels. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 9 Aug. 2026

Even on set, a background person would approach her, wondering if there’s any more plain bagels at craft service. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026

Dan’s sells more than 22 bagel flavors in the form of classic bagel and cream cheese, bagel and lox and breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches. — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026

For instance, a plain English muffin typically contains about 120 to 150 calories, while a standard plain bagel often has 250 to 350 calories. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

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