doughboy

noun

SayDOH-boy/ˈdoʊˌbɔɪ/UK/ˈdəʊˌbɔɪ/

3 meanings of doughboy

1
nounUScountable
An American infantryman, especially one who served in World War I.
A bronze doughboy stands in the town square, rifle in hand, honoring the local men who served.
Thousands of doughboys came home from France to parades and brass bands.
Note
A nickname older than the war it is remembered for: it was already applied to infantrymen in 1847, during the Mexican–American War, and how dough and boy came to mean a foot soldier is unknown. In 1901 The Agricultural Journal and Mining Record still wrote it as two words, the "dough boys" riding in wagons with the cavalry at their flanks.
2
nouncountable
A type of dumpling made from flour.
She served the beef stew with a fluffy doughboy floating in each bowl.
Doughboys were a cheap way to stretch a pot of soup on a cold night.
3
nouncountable
Another name for frybread, bread made from dough that is fried in hot oil or fat.
She tore open a warm doughboy and drizzled it with honey.
The stand by the gate sold doughboys dusted with powdered sugar.
Similarfrybread

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Formed from dough and boy. Why it came to mean an infantryman is unknown, but that use dates from 1847, during the Mexican–American War.