dough

dough — noun

1. a thick, soft mixture prepared by combining flour with water, milk, or another l

1.nounA2
Definition

a thick, soft mixture prepared by combining flour with water, milk, or another liquid, used as the base for bread, pastries, pizza crusts, and other baked goods before they are cooked.

Example

The baker kneaded the dough until it was smooth and elastic.

knead the dough — the action of pressing and folding

Adina left the dough to rise in a warm bowl near the stove.

leave the dough to rise — letting it expand before baking

Common collocations
  • knead dough
  • roll dough
  • rise
  • toss dough
  • dust dough with flour
  • shape dough
  • work the dough
Synonyms
  • mixture

    more general; dough is a specific kind of mixture

  • paste

    usually softer and stickier than dough; not for baking

  • batter

    thinner than dough and pourable, not kneaded

Grammar Patterns

dough + verb (rise, bake)

a/an + adjective + dough

Usage Note

Dough is usually uncountable. You can use 'a' with an adjective to describe a particular type or batch, as in 'a sticky dough' or 'a soft dough.' Do not confuse dough with batter — dough is thick enough to knead, while batter is thin enough to pour.

Common Mistakes

I poured the dough into the cake pan.
I poured the batter into the cake pan.
Dough is a thick, kneadable mixture; thin, pourable mixtures are called batter.
I need to buy some dough at the supermarket.
I need to buy some flour at the supermarket.
Dough is what you make at home, not a product you buy.

2. an informal word for money, especially cash that is earned, saved, needed, or sp

2.nounB2
Definition

an informal word for money, especially cash that is earned, saved, needed, or spent in everyday life.

Example

Christopher saved up enough dough to put a down payment on a flat.

save up dough — to put money aside over time

The landlord told the tenants they needed the dough by Monday morning.

Common collocations
  • make dough
  • save dough
  • spend dough
  • need dough
  • serious dough
  • enough dough
Synonyms
  • cash

    more neutral and widely accepted; less informal than dough

  • bread

    slang, similar in register to dough; used in phrases like 'breadwinner'

  • funds

    formal register; suitable for business contexts

Grammar Patterns

have/get/make + dough

enough dough + to-infinitive

Usage Note

This meaning belongs to casual, informal speech and slang. It is not appropriate for formal writing, business documents, or academic contexts, where 'money,' 'funds,' or 'cash' should be used instead.

Common Mistakes

We need additional dough to finish the project.
We need additional funds to finish the project.
'Dough' is too informal for business or professional contexts.
He counted the dough carefully at the bank.
He counted the money carefully at the bank.
In a formal setting like a bank, 'dough' sounds odd and unprofessional.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dough, paste, and batter all describe soft mixtures, but they differ in consistency and use. Dough is thick and stiff enough to knead by hand — you shape it into loaves, pizza bases, or cookies before baking. Paste is even softer and stickier, often made with just flour and water (or a small amount of liquid), used as glue or in cooking for dumpling wrappers. Batter is the thinnest of the three — runny enough to pour into a pan for pancakes, waffles, or cakes. In short, if you can knead it, it is dough; if you can spread it, it is paste; if you can pour it, it is batter.

mixture ↗paste ↗batter

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bread dough
  • pizza dough
  • cookie dough
  • pastry dough

Phrases

  • knead the dough
  • let the dough rise
  • roll out the dough
  • work the dough

Prepositions

  • in dough
  • with dough
  • from dough

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

Dough comes from Old English dāg, meaning 'a kneaded mass.' It is related to Dutch deeg and German Teig, all from a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'to knead' or 'to form with the hands.' The slang sense of 'money' appeared in American English around the mid-1800s. It may have come from the idea that bread (made from dough) was such a basic necessity that it became a stand-in for money itself.