butt Hear it!

butt¹ Definition

butt (but)

noun

  1. the thick end of anything, as of a whip handle, rifle stock, etc.
  2. the remaining end of anything; stub; stump; specif., the stub of a smoked cigarette or cigar

    1. Etymology: ? infl. by Fr butte, mound < OFr buter

      a mound of earth, bales of straw, etc. behind a target, for receiving fired rounds or shot arrows
    2. a target
    3. a target range
  4. a hole in the ground used as a blind by hunters of fowl
  5. an object of ridicule or criticism
  6. Slang a cigarette
  7. Informal the buttocks
  8. Obsolete
    1. a limit
    2. a goal
  9. Tanning the part of a hide or pelt that covered the animal's backside

Etymology: < several bases, variously confused in E or Fr: ME but, butte, thick end, ? akin to ON būtr, block of wood, Du bot, stumpy, stocky, or ? < OFr bout, end < buter (see butt); ME but, target, boundary < MFr bout, aim, goal, < abuter, to aim < à, at (< L ad) + but, goal (< ?)

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to join end to end

butt² Definition

butt (but)

transitive verb

  1. to strike or push with the head or horns; ram with the head
  2. to strike or bump against
  3. to abut on
  4. to make abut: (on, upon, or against)

Etymology: ME butten, to drive, thrust < OFr buter (< Frank *botan), to thrust against: for IE base see beat

intransitive verb

  1. to make a butting motion
  2. to move or drive headfirst
  3. to stick out; project
  4. to abut

noun

  1. a thrust with the head or horns
  2. a thrust in fencing

Etymology: ME; prob. < OFr buter, or < the v.

butt² Idioms

butt in

or butt into☆

Informal to mix into (another's business, a conversation, etc.)

butt out!

Slang stop meddling!mind your own business!

butt³ Definition

butt (but)

noun

  1. a large barrel or cask, as for wine or beer
  2. a measure of liquid capacity equal to 126 gal or two hogsheads (108 imperial gal)

Etymology: ME butte < OFr botte < ML butta < LL buttis, cask

butt4 Definition

butt (but)

noun

any of various flatfishes, as the halibut or turbot

Etymology: ME butte, but; prob. < MLowG butte (> Swed butta, Du bot, Ger butte) < adj. butte, lumpy: akin to butt

butt Synonyms

butt

n.

  1. The butt end

    base, tail end, bottom, hilt, extremity, tail, tip, fundament, stump, stub, end, fag end; see also foundation 2.

    Antonyms pinnacle, point, peak.

  2. A laughingstock

    sap, dupe, target, victim; see fool 2, victim 1, 2.

  3. *The buttocks

    bottom, seat, posterior; see back 2, rump.

butt Synonyms

butt

v.

  1. To strike with the head

    ram, push headfirst, bump, batter, knock, collide with, run into, smack, buffet, strike, hook, gore, horn, buck, bunt, toss, crash into, collide; see also crash 4, hit 2.

  2. To abut

    adjoin, touch, bound; see join 3.

butt Usage Examples

Object

spoke: At the back end, the lighter rear hub and butted spokes are carried over from the big ' un.

Converse of object

  • kick: Let's get ready to kick some alien butt!
  • discard: Fair enough there were other contributing factors as well, but the discarded butts were the ignition sources.
  • install: And if we're unlucky enough to face a hosepipe ban, now's the time to install a water butt.

Adjective modifier

alien: Let's get ready to kick some alien butt!

Modifies a noun

  • hinge: We have developed and rigorously tested a variety of butt hinges for differing leaf weights.
  • weld: Special equipment is usually required to provide the heat for an effective butt weld.
  • cheek: The only cheek he's going to be turning is his butt cheek in a salutary mooning of his stunned opponent!
  • rot: This fungus can cause a butt rot to develop in adjacent trees which potentially results in a substantial economic loss.
  • plug: The specially shaped small 4 butt plug has a jelly material base gives an enormous amount of suction power.
  • cap: The butt cap is a new round stainless steel design that will integrate into a stainless V rest which screws into a rod pod.

Noun used with modifier

  • sherry: First, the single malts are ' married ' together and held in sherry butts for several months.
  • cigarette: Cigarette butts get put in your pocket or in a bag NOT on the ground or in the water.
  • Burgundy: Lined guides throughout, with burgundy diamond weave butt section.
  • rifle: A rifle butt in the face tells her she isn't free or out of danger.
  • refill: A refill butt has imparted a dirty blond color to the dram.
  • rainwater: A locked gate at the front leads to a passage by the side of the house where there are two rainwater butts.

Preposition: of

  • joke: At first we are the butts of jokes, suddenly we become monsters.
  • rifle: If you moved you got a clout with the butt of a rifle, and having to urinate and relieve yourself where you were.
  • humor: It was a custard yellow Vauxhall Cavalier and the butt of much humor.

Browse dictionary entries near butt

  1. ‹ butler's pantry
  2. ‹ butler
  3. ‹ butle
  4. ‹ buteo
  5. ‹ butene
  6. ‹ Butenandt
  7. ‹ Bute
  8. ‹ butchery
  9. ‹ butcherbird
  10. ‹ butcher's-broom
  1. butt hinge ›
  2. butt in ›
  3. butt joint ›
  4. butt shaft ›
  5. butt weld ›
  6. butte ›
  7. butter ›
  8. butter-and-eggs ›
  9. butter bean ›
  10. butter clam ›