bagel

noun

ba·​gel ˈbā-gəl 

plural bagels

1

: a firm doughnut-shaped roll traditionally made by boiling and then baking

2

[from the resemblance of a bagel to the zero in the score of such a set] tennis, slang : a set (see set entry 2 sense 15) in which one player or team wins every game

They were never in danger of losing, taking a 5-1 lead in the first set and registering a bagel in the second.

—Mike McGovern

Examples of bagel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lines for bagels that went viral, lines for gummy bears from a pop-up store, lines for viral matcha or cronuts. —Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025

This shared love for bagels is celebrated annually at BagelFest, launched in 2019. —Ronny Maye, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

The bagel dough is made with local water and flour, then hand-rolled, boiled, and baked to glossy, chewy perfection. —Katie Chang, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Ready to eat in just 15 minutes, goat cheese crumbles and everything bagel seasoning makes this side dish a hassle-free winner. —Abby Fribush, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish beygl, from Middle High German *böugel ring, from bouc ring, from Old High German; akin to Old English bēag ring, būgan to bend — more at bow

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bagel

noun

ba·​gel ˈbā-gəl 

: a firm doughnut-shaped roll