Word
pretzel
Phoneticspret·zel, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɹɛtzəɫ/
UK/pɹˈɛtsəl/
Definition
n. a long, twisted bread shaped like a knot. It is usually baked in a salty water solution and has a chewy texture.
n. a type of bread made from wheat flour, water, and salt, typically shaped into a knot or twisted form and boiled before baking. The boiling process gives it a distinctive chewy texture and a characteristic dark brown colour.
Examples
“I bought a warm pretzel from the bakery.”
“The recipe for a traditional German pretzel requires the dough to be boiled in a salty solution before it is baked in a hot oven.”
“While the dough is similar to that of a bagel, the pretzel's unique shape and the alkaline solution used during boiling create a distinctively crisp exterior and a dense, chewy interior.”
Examples
simple
“I bought a warm pretzel from the bakery.”
contextual
“The recipe for a traditional German pretzel requires the dough to be boiled in a salty solution before it is baked in a hot oven.”
complex
“While the dough is similar to that of a bagel, the pretzel's unique shape and the alkaline solution used during boiling create a distinctively crisp exterior and a dense, chewy interior.”
Etymology
From dialectal German Pretzel, a variant of standard Brezel, from Old High German brēzitella, from Vulgar Latin *brāchiātellus, diminutive of Latin brāchium, bracchium (“arm”); named for the appearance of folded arms.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/pretzel