Donut

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈdoÊŠnÉ™t/, /ˈdoÊŠËŒnÊŒt/

Alternative forms

• doughnut

Origin

Alteration of doughnut, from dough + nut. Attested 1900.

George Wilbur Peck, Peck’s bad boy and his pa, 1900, Stanton and Van Vliet, p. 107

Full definition of donut

Noun

1. (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.
2. (North America) Anything in the shape of a torus
3. (North America, automobile) a peel-out or skid-mark in the shape of donut; a 360-degree skid.
4. (North America) A spare tire, smaller than a full sized tire and is only intended for temporary use.
5. A toroidal cushion typically used by hemorrhoid patients.

Usage notes

Rare until 1950s, increasingly popular since then,

“donut, doughnut”, Google Ngram viewer possibly influenced by spread of Dunkin' Donuts (founded 1950).

“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