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

Historically, it was basically a couple of flavors of muffin tops.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

After all, it’s one thing to ride your bike on your own or in a training group, stopping every 30K to eat a muffin and tell lies about your fondo results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Suddenly the muffin feels like it’s shrugging into a velvet robe and wool slippers, pausing at the window to take in a field of knobby pines.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025

He said he generally doesn’t leave tips when he’s ordering a coffee or a muffin at a quick-serve establishment.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 24, 2025

I watch him secretly from the kitchen, where he’s left a blueberry muffin for me on a small plate.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Related Words

• bread
• doughnut
• pastry
• scone