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

Krispy Kreme is celebrating the upcoming arrival of fall with a new autumnal lineup of doughnuts and beverages. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

An Arizona doughnut shop was saved by its community after the owner revealed hardships that would have otherwise ended the business, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Also in line were members of the Plaha family of Santa Clara, who have been fans since son Nihal, 10, devoured a Stan’s doughnut at the age of 1, mother Kassey recounted, laughing. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

But nothing hitting Earth is thankfully as large as a 25-foot-high fiberglass doughnut. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 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