[pret-suh
l] 
| 1. | a crisp, dry biscuit, usually in the form of a knot or stick, salted on the outside. |
| 2. | a larger version of this, made of soft, chewy bread dough. |
| pret·zel (prět'səl) n. A glazed, brittle biscuit that is usually salted on the outside and baked in the form of a loose knot or a stick. [German Brezel, Pretzel, from Middle High German brēzel, prēzel, from Old High German brezitella, from Medieval Latin *brāchitellum, diminutive of Latin bracchiātus, branched, from bracchium, arm, from Greek brakhīōn, upper arm; see mregh-u- in Indo-European roots.] Word History: The German word Brezel or Pretzel, which was borrowed into English (being first recorded in American English in 1856) goes back to the assumed Medieval Latin word *brāchitellum. This would accord with the story that a monk living in France or northern Italy first created the knotted shape of a pretzel, even though this type of biscuit had been enjoyed by the Romans. The monk wanted to symbolize arms folded in prayer, hence the name derived from Latin bracchiātus, "having branches," itself from bracchium, "branch, arm." |
pretzel
a brittle, glazed-and-salted cracker of German or Alsatian origin. Made from a rope of dough typically fashioned into the shape of a loose knot, the pretzel is briefly boiled and then glazed with egg, salted, and baked. Pretzels are customarily eaten as a snack with beer.
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