bun
/bʌn/ (bre, ipa) · /bʌn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbən/ (ame, mw)
bun — noun
- bunsingular
- bunsplural
1. an individual, soft, dome-shaped bread roll, typically sliced through the middle
an individual, soft, dome-shaped bread roll, typically sliced through the middle so a hamburger patty, hot dog, or similar filling can sit inside.
Jisoo grilled the beef patty and slid it into a soft sesame bun.
collocation: sesame / brioche / hamburger bun
The hot dog buns at the corner store were already a day old.
collocation: hot dog bun
Gabriel asked the waiter to toast his burger bun until it was crisp.
Pim brought home a bag of soft white buns for tomorrow's barbecue.
用法筆記
Object is typically the filling it holds (burger, hot dog, sausage, chicken). Often appears in compounds: hamburger bun, hot dog bun, brioche bun.
常見錯誤
2. a small, round, slightly sweet baked treat, often containing dried fruit, sugar,
a small, round, slightly sweet baked treat, often containing dried fruit, sugar, cinnamon, or icing on top.
Élise pulled a tray of warm cinnamon buns from the oven on Sunday morning.
collocation: cinnamon / sticky / iced bun
On Good Friday, the bakery sold hot cross buns marked with a white cross.
fixed compound: hot cross bun
Kwame bought a sticky bun and a flat white at the corner café.
The school fair offered iced buns, sausage rolls, and lemonade for fifty cents each.
- pastry
broader category; includes flaky baked items, not always round or sweet
- sweet roll
American; close synonym for an iced or glazed sweet bun
用法筆記
Often appears in fixed compounds for specific traditional types: hot cross bun (Easter), Chelsea bun, sticky bun, iced bun. Distinguish from sense 2 (savoury burger bun) by sweetness and toppings.
3. a hairstyle made by twisting long hair into a tight round knot, fastened either
a hairstyle made by twisting long hair into a tight round knot, fastened either high on top of the head or low near the nape.
Selim's mother pinned her long grey hair into a neat bun before going to court.
collocation: pin / wear / tie hair in a bun
Lucía always wore her hair in a high bun during ballet rehearsals.
collocation: high / low / messy bun
Before the photo, Nikhil's sister twisted her braid into a low bun.
The yoga teacher pulled her damp hair into a messy bun and rolled out her mat.
用法筆記
Frequently modified by an adjective describing position or style: high bun, low bun, messy bun, top bun. Typically takes prepositions 'in' (wear hair in a bun) or 'into' (twist / pin hair into a bun).
4. either of the two soft, rounded muscles that make up the human backside; the wor
either of the two soft, rounded muscles that make up the human backside; the word is usually used in the plural and is mildly informal.
Christopher pulled a muscle in his left bun while sprinting up the stairs.
informal register; usually plural
Ezra clenched his buns at the top of every squat to finish the set.
collocation: clench / squeeze your buns
After the long bike ride, Owen's buns were sore for three days.
The trainer told the class that lunges would tone the backs of their thighs and buns.
用法筆記
Almost always plural ('buns'); singular 'bun' for one buttock is rare and jokey. Common in fitness contexts ('tone your buns', 'buns of steel'). Distinguish from sense 2 by context — fitness or body talk, not food.
常見錯誤
5. a baby still growing inside its mother, used only in the playful fixed phrase 'h
a baby still growing inside its mother, used only in the playful fixed phrase 'have a bun in the oven', which means to be pregnant.
Jin's older sister grinned and announced she had a bun in the oven at the family dinner.
fixed phrase: have a bun in the oven = be pregnant
Aunt Mei whispered that the neighbour had a bun in the oven before anyone else knew.
When the photographer noticed the small bump, she joked that her friend must have a bun in the oven.
At the office party, Mr Tan teased Hana about whether she had a bun in the oven yet.
- expecting
neutral; 'she is expecting' is gentler than 'pregnant'
- with child
old-fashioned literary register for being pregnant
文法句型
have + a bun + in the oven
用法筆記
Almost never used outside the fixed phrase 'have a bun in the oven'. Light-hearted and informal — avoid in clinical or formal contexts where 'pregnant' or 'expecting a baby' is correct.