muffin

American  

[muhf-in] / ˈmʌf ɪn /

noun

1. an individual cup-shaped quick bread made with wheat flour, cornmeal, or the like, and baked in a pan muffin pan containing a series of cuplike forms.

2. English muffin.

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muffin British  

/ ˈmʌfɪn /

noun

1. a thick round baked yeast roll, usually toasted and served with butter

2. a small cup-shaped sweet bread roll, usually eaten hot with butter

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Etymology

Origin of muffin

First recorded in 1695–1705; origin uncertain

Explanation

A muffin is a small baked good made from batter. Don't kid yourself: the only real difference between a slice of cake and a muffin is the shape. Muffins are single-serving quick breads, which rise with the help of baking soda or baking powder and eggs instead of yeast. They tend to be sweet and somewhat moist, but heavier than a cake or cupcake. Muffins are baked in a pan with cup-sized indentations. The word was originally moofin, which may come from the Low German muffe, "small cake," or the Old French moflet, "soft or tender."

Example Sentences

Eating eggs and avocado on an English muffin, I see that someone I follow has shared a Substack note from neuroscientist Manuela Kouakou:

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Once they’re finished, coat the tops of each muffin with melted butter and cinnamon-sugar.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

This time in England when Molly ate a muffin containing milk.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

He could be relaxing at a cliff-side pool, jet-skiing behind a yacht, or sinking his teeth into a forbidden, gluten-rich blueberry muffin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

“French can wait until tomorrow. I merely had an epiphany of sorts, about something I have been wondering about for some months. Now, shall we sing that muffin man song as we walk?”

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• bread
• doughnut
• pastry
• scone