Forms: 4–7 bunne, 5 bonn(e, 8–9 bunn, 5– bun. [Etymology doubtful. The mod. provincial Fr. bugne is said by Burguy and by Boiste (1840), to be used at Lyons for a sort of fritter; the word is not recorded in OF. with this sense, but bugne, beugne (= mod. bigne) occurs with the sense of ‘swelling produced by a blow’; the dim. bugnete is found in OF. with the sense of ‘fritter,’ and bugnets is given by Cotgr. (1611) as a synonym of bignets (now beignets), explained by him as ‘little round loaves, or lumpes made of fine meale, oyle or butter, and reasons; bunnes, Lenten loaves.’ (Cf. Sp. buñuelo bun, fritter.) It is conjectured that OF. bugne, originally ‘swelling’ may have had the unrecorded sense of ‘puffed loaf’ (= bugnet), and may have been adopted into English as bun. But the existence of this sense in OF. is at present hypothetical, and it is questionable whether such a derivation would account for the form of the Eng. word.]
1. A sort of cake: the use differs greatly in different localities, but the word generally denotes in England a sweet cake (usually round) not too large to be held in the hand while being eaten. In Scotland it usually means a very rich description of cake, the substance of which is almost entirely composed of fruit and spice; the richest kind of currant bread. In some places, as in the north of Ireland, it means a round loaf of ordinary bread. In the earliest examples the meaning is doubtful, the context merely indicating some kind of loaf or cake. (See CROSS-BUN.)
1371. Assisa Panis, in Riley, Munim. Gildhall, III. 423. Cum uno pane albo, vocato ‘bunne,’ de obolo.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 55. Bunne, brede, placenta.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1868), 133. viij loves or bonnes.
1506. Churchw. Acc. St. Mary hill, Lond. (1797), 104. Two dozen de white Bunnys for pore pepyll.
1572. J. Jones, Bathes Buckstone, 9 b. Simnels, Cracknels, and Buns.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Jacke-a-L., Wks. I. 118/1. The light puft vp foure-corner’d Bun.
a. 1640. J. Day, Peregr. Schol. (1881), 44. Give em such a buttered bun to breakfast.
1714. Gray, Sheph. Week, V. 96. Sweeter … Than … Bunns and Sugar to the Damsel’s Tooth.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), II. Collyra, a little loaf of bread, a bun, a cracknell.
1825. Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 403. One-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot-cross-buns! Ibid., 405. Hot-cross-buns are … consecrated loaves, bestowed in the church as alms, and to those who … could not receive the host,… made from the dough from whence the host itself is taken.
1845. Hood, Numb. One, viii. As brown as any bun.
1867. Jean Ingelow, Gladys, 135. The round plump buns they gave me.
2. Comb., as † bun-bread, -house, -pan, -seller; bun-loaf (Lanc. and Yorks.), rich currant-bread.
1494. Will of Hagis (Somerset Ho.). In pane vocato Bunbrede.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais, I. xxv. The Bunsellers or Cake-bakers were in nothing inclinable to their request.
a. 1845. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 329/1. Let us seize a little grammar boy … throw over him a delicate puff-paste, and bake him in a bun-pan.
