Meaning & use
yule log
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A chocolate cake shaped like a rolled log, traditionally eaten at Christmas.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a yule log' or 'two yule logs'.
Patterns
- a yule log
- make a yule log
- eat yule log
We always make a yule log for Christmas dinner.
The bakery sells chocolate yule logs in December.
She decorated the yule log with small sugar mushrooms.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A large wooden log burned on Christmas Eve, especially in old European traditions.
Grammar: Countable: often used with 'the' when talking about a specific tradition.
Patterns
- burn a yule log
- the yule log tradition
In the past, families would burn a yule log on Christmas Eve.
The yule log was kept burning for twelve nights.
The tradition of the yule log goes back to pre-Christian times.
Word forms
| plural | yule logs |
|---|
Common combinations
- chocolate yule log
- I bought a chocolate yule log for the party.
- make a yule log
- It takes time to make a yule log from scratch.
- burn a yule log
- They burned a yule log in the fireplace.
- yule log tradition
- The yule log tradition is still popular in some villages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bûche de Noël
- The French name for the same chocolate cake, often used on menus in English-speaking countries.
Commonly confused: yule log or log?
yule log vs log
'Log' alone means a piece of wood or a record; 'yule log' specifically refers to the Christmas cake or the traditional Christmas log.
Practice
What is a yule log most commonly in British English today?
Choose one answer.
In British English, a yule log is usually the chocolate cake. The wooden log sense is older and more associated with historical traditions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yule log”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.