donut
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Alteration of doughnut, from dough + nut. Attested 1900.[1]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
donut (plural donuts)
- (North America) A deep-fried piece of dough or batter, commonly made in a toroidal or ellipsoidal shape, and mixed with various sweeteners and flavors, sometimes filled with jelly, custard or cream.
- 1900, George Wilbur Peck, Peck’s bad boy and his pa, Stanton and Van Vliet, p. 107:
- …Pa said he guessed he hadn’t got much appetite, and he would just drink a cup of coffee and eat a donut.
- 1900, George Wilbur Peck, Peck’s bad boy and his pa, Stanton and Van Vliet, p. 107:
- (North America) Anything in the shape of a torus
- (North America, automobile) a peel-out or skid-mark in the shape of donut; a 360-degree skid.
- (North America) A spare tire, smaller than a full sized tire and is only intended for temporary use.
- A toroidal cushion typically used by hemorrhoid patients.
Usage notes[edit]
Rare until 1950s, increasingly popular since then,[2] possibly influenced by spread of Dunkin' Donuts (founded 1950).[3]
Translations[edit]
deep-fried piece of dough — see doughnut
References[edit]
- ^ George Wilbur Peck, Peck’s bad boy and his pa, 1900, Stanton and Van Vliet, p. 107
- ^ “donut, doughnut”, Google Ngram viewer
- ^ “The Language Time Machine: Google’s Ngram Viewer gave us a new way to explore history, but has it led to any real discoveries?”, by Elizabeth Weingarten, Slate, Sept. 9, 2013
