bagel

American  

[bay-guhl] / ˈbeɪ gəl /

noun

• bagels
  plural

1. a leavened, doughnut-shaped, firm-textured roll, with a brownish glazed surface, made of dough first poached and then baked.

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bagel British  

/ ˈbeɪɡəl /

noun

1. a hard ring-shaped bread roll, characteristic of Jewish baking

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bagels
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of bagel

1930–35; < Yiddish beygl; compare dialectal German Beugel < Germanic *baug- ring ( see bee ²) + *-il- noun suffix

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Compare meaning

How does bagel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bialy vs. bagel

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Explanation

A bagel is a kind of baked good made by boiling and then baking a circle of dough until the inside is chewy and the outside is slightly crisp. New York is famous for having many great bagel shops. A bagel is a traditional Jewish roll that's shaped like a doughnut and often served sliced in half, toasted, and spread with butter or cream cheese. New Yorkers claim that their city has the best bagels in the world, although Montreal is also known for its delicious bagels. The word is from the Yiddish beygl, with an Old High German root, boug, or "ring," which describes a bagel's shape.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bagel bagels

The cookie shops have a rotating menu of cookies with elaborate toppings, sometimes offering bizarre flavors such as everything bagel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

A lot of New Yorkers might say, ‘Oh, that’s not a real bagel’ — because it’s not a real New York bagel, they call it a Montreal-style bagel — but it’s what I like.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

There was all the improvised art, including the chant that swept the town: “My mayor is Muslim / My bagel is Jewish / My Christian’s Dior / Knicks in four.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

It was the first time a woman had won a Wimbledon final with a double bagel - the name given to a victory without dropping a game - since Dorothea Lambert Chambers in 1911.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Naomi comes to the door, holding a half-eaten bagel with cream cheese on it.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

Last year, Sytner even visited the Simeone museum with his lawyer and adviser, where, over platters of pretzels and bagels, he says he politely asked its chairman, Robert Dusek, to further research its car.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

We’ll either go to Sam’s Bagels, which has the best bagels — the most New York bagels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The bagels from Slow to Rise Bakery come in offbeat flavors like cacio e pepe and cranberry orange and cost $20 for a half dozen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

A subway station near Madison Square Garden has been given a Knicks-themed makeover, and businesses across New York City's five boroughs are offering meal deals and special orange-and-blue ice-cream and bagels.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Eventually he was bringing in fifteen dozen bagels a week.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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