Beignet
/ˈbeɪnjeɪ/noun
A small piece of dough that is deep-fried and typically covered with powdered sugar.
Did you know?The word’s likely ancestor described a lump or swelling before it came to name a lump of dough transformed by frying.
Etymological Timeline
Early Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*bungō
“A swelling, lump, or rounded mass; the precise ancestral form is reconstructed and debated.”
Old French
Old French
buigne
“A lump, swelling, or bump.”
Medieval French
French
beigne
“A fritter or fried piece of dough, linked to the earlier sense of a lump.”
15th–16th Century
French
beignet
“A small fritter or piece of fried dough; the diminutive ending suggests a small lump.”
19th Century
English
beignet
“A borrowed French term for a sweet fried pastry, especially associated with New Orleans cuisine.”
Modern English
English
beignet
“A deep-fried pastry commonly served hot and dusted with powdered sugar.”