Many foods made from fried dough, such as crepes and crullers, get their name from words that mean curled since the action of cooking them makes them crinkle, bend, fold, and twist. The crumpet is another such food, having derived its name from a fourteenth-century term, crompid cake, literally meaning curled cake. Crompid, in turn, derives from a much older Germanic word, pronounced something like kram, that gave rise to a host of other words that involve bending or curling, including crouch (a posture achieved by bending your knees), crochet (a kind of knitting done with a bent needle), croquet (a game originally played with curved sticks), and crimping (the action of bending the edge of a pastry shell to give it a fancy pattern).
This particular item is a circular, plush, level, unflavored baked good that can be used for either breakfast or tea. It is riddled with multiple cavities that have the ability to absorb a generous quantity of butter while still warm from the toasting process. Just like the English muffin, crumpets are cooked separately in their own rings on sizzling hot surfaces.
A diminutive English confection made with a mixture of yeast that is cooked on a griddle using specialized metal rings. The underside of the cake is sleek and bronzed, while the top is dotted with minute perforations. These delectables are served toasted and warm, generously coated with butter, typically enjoyed during teatime.