bun

¹ American  

[buhn] / bʌn /

noun

1. any of a wide variety of variously shaped bread rolls, usually leavened and slightly sweetened or plain, sometimes containing spices, dried currants, etc.

2. hair gathered into a round coil or knot at the nape of the neck or on top of the head in certain coiffures.

3. Slang. buns, the buttocks.

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bun ² American  

[buhn] / bʌn /

idioms

1. have a bun on, to be intoxicated.

   Everyone at the party seemed to have a bun on.

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BUN ³ American  

abbreviation

1. blood urea nitrogen: the concentration of nitrogen in the blood in the form of urea, indicating kidney function.

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bun British  

/ bʌn /

noun

1. a small roll, similar to bread but usually containing sweetening, currants, spices, etc

2. any of various types of small round sweet cakes

3. a hairstyle in which long hair is gathered into a bun shape at the back of the head

4. slang to be pregnant

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Etymology

Origin of bun¹

1325–75; Middle English bunne, possibly of Romance origin; buñuelo ( def. )

Origin of bun²

First recorded in 1900–05; of uncertain origin

Origin of BUN³

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Braids were a little more deadly with his long hair than the man bun he was currently rocking.

From Literature

I remember her baggy, unwashed clothes, her messy bun, her watery eyes.

From Literature

"But I quite like the hot cross bun with a bit of apple."

From BBC

I could get a hot dog topped with mustard, relish and onions served on a steamed bun.

From The Wall Street Journal

On it was a cartoon likeness of a smiling, winking chef with a face shaped like a hamburger bun and, in big red letters, the word “McDonald’s.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bread
• doughnut
• muffin
• pastry
• scone