Soft, rounded bread rolls, often sweet and served as a snack or breakfast item; can also refer to hair arranged in a coiled knot on top of or behind the head.
From Middle English 'bunne,' possibly from Old French 'bugne' meaning fritter. The hair meaning emerged in the 1800s as a playful comparison to the bread's round shape.
The same word describes both food and hairstyle because of a visual pun—when hair is twisted tightly, it really does look like a round bun! This shows how English speakers are creative with language, comparing things that look similar even if they're completely different.
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