bun

[ buhn ]

/ bʌn /

Save This Word!

noun

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

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

buns, Slang. the buttocks.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bun

1325–75; Middle English bunne, possibly of Romance origin; see also buñuelo

Words nearby bun

bum-rush, bum's rush, bum steer, bumsters, bumsucking, bun, Buna, bunch, bunchberry, Bunche, Bunche, Ralph

Other definitions for bun (2 of 3)

bun²

[ buhn ]

/ bʌn /

Idioms

have a bun on, Slang. to be intoxicated: Everyone at the party seemed to have a bun on.

Origin of bun

First recorded in 1900–05; of uncertain origin

Other definitions for bun (3 of 3)

BUN

abbreviation

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

How to use bun in a sentence

Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions—on a sesame seed bun.
Have We Reached ‘Peak Burger’? The Crazy Fetishization of Our Most Basic Comfort Food|Brandon Presser|July 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Monday, Nicole Richie debuted her latest Technicolor hairstyle—a side-swept Cerulean low bun—on Good Morning America.
Tangled Up in Blue: Young Stars and Their Blue Rinses|Erin Cunningham|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is built not in a long bun, but in a half-loaf of fresh, tawny-crusted Italian bread.
The Jersey Shore’s Biggest Weiners Are at Jimmy Buff’s|Jane & Michael Stern|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The meat glistened seductively with melted butter, piled high and steaming on top of a crisp, oily split-top bun.
My Big, Buttery Lobster Roll Rumble: We Came, We Clawed, We Conquered|Scott Bixby|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

No mayonnaise, only butter, which had been absorbed, sponge-style, into the bun.
My Big, Buttery Lobster Roll Rumble: We Came, We Clawed, We Conquered|Scott Bixby|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I carried mine in my long, luxuriant hair, which I wore “bun” fashion, held in a net of opossum hair.
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont|Louis de Rougemont
Add bun to these terms, and they are made to have passed away,—prefix tah to them, and their future appearance is indicated.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
One of the features of Michaelmas in Scotland was the concoction and cooking of a giant cake, bun, or bannock.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
Her eyes looked like raisins in a bun and her mouth had almost disappeared.
Mary Louise and Josie O'Gorman|Emma Speed Sampson
I purchased an enormous delicacy just as one would buy a bun under ordinary stances.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson

British Dictionary definitions for bun

bun

/ (bʌn) /

noun

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

any of various types of small round sweet cakes

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

have a bun in the oven slang to be pregnant

Word Origin for bun

C14: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bun

Origin of bun

Words nearby bun

Other definitions for bun (2 of 3)

Origin of bun

Other definitions for bun (3 of 3)

Words related to bun

How to use bun in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bun

Word Origin for bun