English Reference
noun

muffin

n.
US /ˈməfən/ UK /mˈʌfɪn/ muf·fin UK spelling muffin's, muffin's

  1. 01 A2 Elementary Cooking

    a small, sweet bread shaped like a cupcake, often containing fruit or chocolate.

    a small, individual-sized quick bread, often sweetened and containing ingredients like blueberries or bran, typically baked in a cup-shaped tin.

    Simple

    I grabbed a blueberry muffin and a coffee on my way to work.

    In context

    The bakery specialises in oversized bran muffins that are surprisingly moist despite their high fibre content.

    quick breadbun
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate British English Cooking

    a flat, round bread roll that is usually cut in half and toasted.

    a flat, circular, yeast-leavened bread, typically toasted and served with butter; often referred to as an 'English muffin' outside the UK.

    Simple

    He toasted a muffin and spread it with plenty of butter and jam.

    In context

    For a traditional breakfast, the chef served poached eggs on a toasted muffin with a side of hollandaise sauce.

    english muffinbread roll
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalHumorous

    a sweet name you call someone you love, like a partner or a child.

    a term of endearment used to address a loved one, typically a romantic partner or a small child.

    Simple

    Don't worry about the mess, muffin, I'll help you clean it up.

    In context

    While some find it cloying, he frequently uses 'muffin' as a pet name for his youngest daughter.

  4. 04 C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a technical tool in some computer programs that works like a 'cookie' to save information.

    a mechanism in the Java Network Launching Protocol (JNLP) that functions similarly to a browser cookie, allowing local data persistence.

    Simple

    The application uses a muffin to store the user's local preferences.

    In context

    The developer implemented a muffin to ensure that the client-side state was preserved across different sessions of the web-start application.

    cookiedata store
This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Frequent
Updated