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

Come early for coffee, bagels, and conversation. —Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026

And just like with protein, the fiber and particularly the prebiotic fiber that feeds the gut bacteriais showing up on the grocery shelves in non-traditional places like soda, iced tea, snack bars, cereal and bagels. —Shimite Obialo, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Every Saturday morning, Milly Lorden and her husband would go hunting for the best bagels in Chicago. —Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 26 May 2026

Delicate, enriched breads like brioche or challah will dry out quickly, and crusty breads like sourdough, baguettes, and bagels can lose their crisp exteriors and become tough. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 24 May 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