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noun Uncommon

muffin

MUHF-ihn

Muffin (noun) means a small, cake-like baked good, often eaten for breakfast, that can be sweet (blueberry, chocolate chip) or savoury (bran, corn). Example: “She grabbed a blueberry muffin on her way out.”

noun
1
A small, cake-like baked good, often eaten for breakfast, that can be sweet (blueberry, chocolate chip) or savoury (bran, corn).
"She grabbed a blueberry muffin on her way out."
"He baked a batch of banana muffins for the office."
2
(British) A flat, round bread roll, split and toasted, and served with butter — an "English muffin."
"He had a toasted muffin with his tea."
"Eggs Benedict is served on a muffin."

How to use muffin

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA small baked bread-like snack — either the American cupcake-style version or the British flat, toasted bread roll.

UK vs US

In the US, a muffin is usually a sweet cupcake-shaped bake. In the UK, an "English muffin" is a flat toasted bread roll, distinct from American-style muffins.

Common pairings
blueberry muffin toasted muffin muffin tin

Word forms

muffined past tense, MUFFINed past tense, muffins plural, muffins singular, MUFFINs singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She grabbed a blueberry _____ on her way out.

Etymology

Probably from a Low German word for a small pastry, moofin.

Origin: German

gem

Related words

Rhymes for muffin

See all rhymes for muffin →

Frequently asked questions

What does “muffin” mean?

The word “muffin” means a small, cake-like baked good, often eaten for breakfast, that can be sweet (blueberry, chocolate chip) or savoury (bran, corn). In plain terms, a small baked bread-like snack — either the American cupcake-style version or the British flat, toasted bread roll.

How do you pronounce “muffin”?

“Muffin” is pronounced MUHF-ihn (/ˈmʌf.ɪn/ in IPA).

How do you use “muffin” in a sentence?

Here is “muffin” used in a sentence: “She grabbed a blueberry muffin on her way out.”

What part of speech is “muffin”?

“Muffin” is a noun.

Where does the word “muffin” come from?

The word “muffin” comes from German. Probably from a Low German word for a small pastry, moofin.

Is “muffin” a common word?

“Muffin” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “muffin” have?

“Muffin” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, cake-like baked good, often eaten for breakfast, that can be sweet (blueberry, chocolate chip) or savoury (bran, corn).

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