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

Downtown newcomer Bread People sells cardamom buns and doughnuts (plus lunch sandwiches). — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 15 Aug. 2026

RestJoséteur Jose Luis Flores opened Masa Madre in 2024 to bring quality baking to the neighborhood in the form of danishes, doughnuts, and loaves, but also regional Mexican, Colombian, and Guatemalan specialties. — Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026

Your Mom’s Donuts opens a Cornelius storefront Lake Norman doughnut fans, this one’s for you. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026

In addition to the doughnuts, fans can also get a special-edition Pokémon cup available in five exclusive Pokémon designs, filled with 10 Original Glazed Gold Dots. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

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

Phrases Containing doughnut

• doughnut hole

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