bun
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a small, round piece of bread, often used for burgers or sandwiches.
n.a small, typically round bread roll, often sweetened or used as a vessel for savoury fillings like burgers.
Simple“He placed the grilled burger on a toasted sesame bun.”
In context“The bakery specialises in artisanal brioche buns, which provide a rich and buttery base for their signature sandwiches.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a small, sweet cake, sometimes containing fruit or topped with icing.
n.a small sweet cake or bread, frequently containing dried fruit or spices.
Simple“We had tea and a sticky cinnamon bun at the café.”
In context“In many British households, toasted currant buns are a traditional accompaniment to afternoon tea during the winter months.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.hair pulled back and fastened into a round shape at the back of the head.
n.a hairstyle in which the hair is drawn back and coiled into a tight, rounded mass.
Simple“She tied her long hair into a neat bun before the ballet class.”
In context“The professional dress code required employees to keep their hair in a conservative bun or a similar tidy arrangement.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a slang word for the buttocks.
n.a slang term for the buttocks, almost exclusively used in the plural form.
Simple“He spent all day at the gym working on his buns.”
In context“The fitness instructor promised that these specific squats would help tone the participants' buns within a few weeks.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a cute or childish name for a rabbit.
n.a hypocoristic or childish shortening of 'bunny', referring to a rabbit.
Simple“The little bun hopped across the garden and hid under a bush.”
In context“The children were delighted to see a tiny bun nibbling on the clover in the backyard.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
From Middle English bunne (“wheat cake, bun”), from Anglo-Norman bugne (“bump on the head; fritter”), from Old French bugne (hence French beignet), from Frankish bungjo (“little clump”), diminutive of bungu (“lump, clump”), from Proto-Germanic bungô, bunkô (“clump, lump, heap, crowd”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ- (“thick, dense, fat”). Cognate with Dutch bonk (“clump, clot, cluster of fruits”). More at bunch.
Probably from Scots bun (“tail of a rabbit or hare”), which is probably from Scottish Gaelic bun (“bottom, butt, stump, stub”).
Caribbean pronunciation of burn.
From the Revised Romanization of Korean 분 (bun), from Chinese 分 (fèn, “fen”). Doublet of fen.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.