donut

1 of 2

noun (1)

do·​nut

less common spelling of doughnut

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
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

Examples of donut in a Sentence

Noun (2) drawing doughnuts in the sand
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The disk of gas around the black hole becomes geometrically thick, forming a donut-like structure with a narrow funnel along the rotation axis. Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Witnesses described a man behind the wheel of a tan or gold Nissan Frontier doing donuts in parking lots, nearly hitting other vehicles and possibly striking curbs and a retaining wall, according to police. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
The Mexico native, now 45, sold churros and doughnuts in the streets of South Los Angeles to keep a roof over her two youngest children. Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 There’s a reason the Bacon Maple Bar has been one of our top-selling doughnuts for more than 20 years. Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for donut

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

dough + nut entry 1 (in sense "rounded cake or biscuit," as in ginger nut, spice nut)

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of donut was in 1782

Cite this Entry

“Donut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/donut. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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