doughnut

noun

dough·​nut ˈdō-(ˌ)nət 

variants or less commonly donut

1

: a small usually ring-shaped piece of sweet fried dough

2

: something (such as a mathematical torus) that has a round shape like a doughnut

3

: a controlled skid that sends an automobile into a tight circle of at least 360 degrees

—usually used in the phrase do doughnuts

Doing doughnuts? You haven't heard about this? This is what they steal the cars for. Top speed, they slam on the brakes, yank the emergency brake, twist the steering wheel, and the car starts spinning. Wheeling the car in circles at tremendous speeds.

—Philip Roth

doughnutlike

ˈdō-(ˌ)nət-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of doughnut in a Sentence

drawing doughnuts in the sand

Recent Examples on the Web

Don’t forget to sneak a doughnut for yourself before sharing, because the only thing spookier than a ghost is an empty Krispy Kreme dozens box! —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025

The best doughnuts in South Florida arrived in Miami at the end of 2024, launching three locations and promising sweet mornings and many flavors. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025

Munchkin Buckets, suitable for trick or treating, come with or without Munchkins doughnut holes. —Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 28 Oct. 2025

The Christmas market in Ban Jelačić Square has the city’s big, bedecked tree, concerts and cultural performances, plus market stalls selling gifts, handicrafts, and bites like fritule (crispy miniature doughnut balls). —Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

dough + nut entry 1 (in sense "rounded cake or biscuit," as in ginger nut, spice nut)

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for doughnut

• abut
• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• groundnut
• haircut
• hindgut
• midgut
• precut
• rebut
• recut

Kids Definition

doughnut

noun

dough·​nut

variants also donut

-(ˌ)nət

1

: a small ring of sweet dough fried in fat

2

: something resembling a doughnut especially in shape