Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cross bun

cross bun

1 3.7
A small sweet roll with spices, raisins, and a cross of icing on top
  • noun
  • /krɔs bʌn/
translation icon : panecillo de pascua
  • Wahid bought halal hot cross buns.
  • hot cross buns

Examples

  • Easter is coming - it's time for hot cross buns.

  • But you know, I'm trying to be healthy, but hot cross buns are so good.

  • So I thought that's a hot cross bun that I can get behind.

  • I can get you bread, mounds of hot cross buns.

    The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

  • Oh, would you like a hot cross bun?

  • Well, I've got the best hot cross buns in town.

Synonyms

bun
vscross bun
164 1.0

A small round bread roll that is plain or sweet

is a spiced sweet roll with dried fruit and a cross on top
hot cross bun
vscross bun
1 2.5

A small sweet roll with dried fruit and a cross on top eaten at Easter

is the same kind but not strongly linked to Easter tradition

Surface Forms

cross bun singular
cross buns plural

Morphology

cross + bun

The meaning is directly derivable from 'cross' (a cross-shaped marking) + 'bun' (a small sweet roll); a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a bun with a cross on it. This is a straightforward attributive composition (noun used to specify a type of bun) and matches common cross-linguistic patterns for describing decorated baked goods.

Etymology

Cross bun comes from an old Christian tradition: bakers put a small cross of dough or icing on a sweet, spiced bun for 'Good Friday' to remember the cross of Jesus. That's why today cross buns are the sweet rolls people eat at Easter.