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
Making things like burnouts and donuts, also traditional muscle car tire disposal activities, an option. — New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 Drink Cider at an Apple Orchard Venture 20 minutes south of Galena to Orchard Landing Apple Farm to pick 14 kinds of apples apples, sample hard cider, and grab some jams, jellies, and cider donuts to go. — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
Reyes said the dog was found behind a doughnut shop and laundromat on Long Beach Boulevard. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Each starts with a carbonated drink base (except for the lemonade option), and through flavors, drizzles and creams, take on the form of a doughnut served at Donutology. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!