pretzel

nounverbattested in dialogue

//ˈpɹɛt.səl//
/[ˈpʰɹɛʔt͡sɫ̩]/

A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

noun

1
A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.
When I was young, the best Philadelphia could do in the way of combining music and eating—or principally drinking—was at the Mäennerchor Garden at Ninth and Green, where a pretzel might be had with a glass of beer, or a sherry cobbler
Outside, the little birds on the telegraph wires looked in at the moving picture and smiled at one another. Some even wept. Then they flew down into the street and simply raved over a stale pretzel, ten days dead.
2
figurativeAnything that is knotted, twisted, or tangled.
he drew himself up into a regular pretzel of a boy

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-us Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus Proto-Hellenic *brəkʰús Ancient Greek βρᾰχῠ́ς (brăkhŭ́s) Proto-Indo-European *-yōsder. Proto-Indo-European *-isō Proto-Hellenic *-ihō Ancient Greek -ῑ́ων (-ī́ōn) Ancient Greek βρᾰχῑ́ων (brăkhī́ōn)bor. Latin bracchium Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Latin brāchiātus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin -ellus Vulgar Latin *brāchiātellusbor. Old High German brēzitella Middle High German brēzel German Brezel German Pretzelbor. English pretzel 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.

verb

1
informalTo bend, twist, or contort.
They discovered a snake pretzelled into knots.

Forms

plural: pretzels
past tense: pretzeled, pretzelled
past participle: pretzeled, pretzelled
present participle: pretzeling, pretzelling
third person singular: pretzels

pretext · A false, contrived, or assumed purpose or reason; a pretense.pretty · Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially…Pretty · A surname.

pretzel · A toasted bread or cracker usually in the shape of a loose knot.

prevail · To be superior in strength, dominance, influence, or…prevent · To stop (an outcome); to keep from (doing something).prevention · The act of preventing or hindering; obstruction of action,…

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