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crumpet

American  
[kruhm-pit] / ˈkrʌm pɪt /

noun

Chiefly British.
  • crumpets
    plural
  1. a round soft unsweetened bread resembling a muffin, cooked on a griddle or the like, and often toasted.

  2. British Slang. a sexually attractive woman.


crumpet British  
/ ˈkrʌmpɪt /

noun

  1. a light soft yeast cake full of small holes on the top side, eaten toasted and buttered

  2. (in Scotland) a large flat sweetened cake made of batter

  3. slang women collectively

  4. slang a sexually desirable woman

  5. slang utterly worthless

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of crumpet

1350–1400; short for crumpetcake curled cake, equivalent to Middle English crompid (past participle of crumpen, variant of crampen to bend, curl ( see cramp 1) + cake


Explanation

A crumpet is a spongy bread that's cooked on a griddle and served warm with butter. Crumpets are a delicious alternative to toast or English muffins. Crumpets were probably invented in Wales as a way to make bread without access to an oven. Like English muffins, they're cooked on a hot pan or griddle, but crumpets are made from a batter, rather than a dough. Etymologists suspect that crumpet may derive from crompid cake, "wafer," or literally "curled-up cake," and its root, which is shared with crumple.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing crumpet

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It was our childhood – or, at least, the crumpet was: its buttery lattice and doughy insides up there with Live and Kicking as a highlight of Saturday mornings.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 25, 2019

Now 21, university student Beth says she would not choose to eat a crumpet but "wouldn't be completely repulsed" if she saw one.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2019

Analysis: This category is crazy crowded, so much so that I can’t even see the crumpet contingent managing to put “Downton’s” Maggie Smith back among the nominees.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2016

We also use words like fortnight and crumpet and jolly good, so we should probably not be taken very seriously.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2014

Duane had never refused a crumpet since they’d met.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

"If you categorise crumpets as a junk food that will have a great impact on my business – basically what they're saying is: 'you shouldn't eat crumpets', indirectly."

From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2024

When compared to preparing other breakfast classics, such as muffins, scones, or yeasted crumpets, pikelets make for an easygoing weekend morning.

From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2022

“Sims 4: Cottage Living,” released in July, added dishes inspired by the English countryside, including bangers and mash, beef Wellington, crumpets and Yorkshire pudding.

From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2022

Open since 1976, the Crumpet Shop is the only place in the Market to get delightfully squishy, hot griddled crumpets.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2021

Like the women who sat in front of roaring fireplaces, drinking tea incessantly from silver trays full of scones and crumpets.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

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