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

Instead of a mountain of mounded mulch, aim for more of a doughnut shape of mulch that encircles the trunk. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025

Mornings will include coffee, doughnuts and other breakfast items. —Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 3 Nov. 2025

The doughnut chain is rolling out nine new flavors — six here to stay and three available for a limited time — and getting rid of a few permanently, bringing its lineup of full-sized doughnuts from 10 to 16. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2025

Which Krispy Kreme doughnuts are leaving? —Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 3 Nov. 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