doughboy

[ doh-boi ]
/ ˈdoʊˌbɔɪ /

noun

Informal. an American infantryman, especially in World War I.
a rounded mass of dough, boiled or steamed as a dumpling or deep-fried and served as a hot bread.

Origin of doughboy

1675–85; dough + boy; sense “infantryman,” from mid-1860s, is obscurely derived; two plausible, but unsubstantiated claims: doughboy orig. referred to the globular brass buttons on infantry uniforms, likened to the pastry; dough referred to a clay used to clean the white uniform belts

Words nearby doughboy

doug, dough, dough bird, dough hook, doughbelly, doughboy, doughboys, dougherty wagon, doughface, doughfoot, doughnut

Words related to doughboys

doughboys, serviceperson

Example sentences from the Web for doughboys

British Dictionary definitions for doughboys

doughboy
/ (ˈdəʊˌbɔɪ) /

noun

US informal an infantryman, esp in World War I
dough that is boiled or steamed as a dumpling

Cultural definitions for doughboys

doughboys

United States infantry soldiers who served in World War I.