bun a term which has a more restricted meaning in Britain than in the USA, where it simply means a bread roll of some kind, sweet or savoury. British buns are sweeter and richer than plain breads, or than muffins or crumpets. The term has been used in English since the 15th century. It is derived from the old French bugne, ‘swelling’, referring to the bulging shape (this is from the same root as beignet). The word survives in French for a puffy fritter.
The following are a few of the many sorts of bun.
