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

If your race is in the morning, eat a high-carbohydrate breakfast, such as a bagel or oatmeal. —Laurel Leicht, Health, 21 Oct. 2025

From conversations with some of the hottest celebrities in food and home design to a custom fall schmear with a famous NYC bagel shop, BHG's first Red Plaid Café was an event to remember. —Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2025

One last honorable mention is Grampa’s Restaurant, a semi-famous bagel joint by a pair of New Yorkers. —Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025

The menu includes a variety of breakfast and lunch bagel sandwiches, including a lox, pastrami, egg and cheese, and a turkey club. —Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 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

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bagel

noun

ba·​gel ˈbā-gəl 

: a firm doughnut-shaped roll