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

The Philly cheesesteak is as quintessential to Philadelphia as the bagel is to New York. —Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 11 Dec. 2024

Raised also sells a savory everything bagel doughnut and cake slices. —Melissa Santos, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024

This one comes with four slots, and presets for things like bagels, defrosting, reheating. —Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024

Quick appetizer: Spread cream cheese on bagel chips or melba toast rounds and top with a dollop of cranberry relish. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Nov. 2024

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