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

In several instances throughout a video, an animation of a French fry goes inside the hole of a doughnut. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025

Form one portion into a ball, poke a hole in the center and shape like a doughnut. —Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

According to Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, who spent time with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex there, Harry hopped into action when an elderly man asked for a doughnut. —Janine Henni, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025

Sacramento County health inspectors closed down a local deli and a doughnut store after finding live cockroaches and shut down a Chinese restaurant after discovering an active rodent infestation. —Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 10 Jan. 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

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