butt

1
[ buht ]
See synonyms for: buttbutting on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the end or extremity of anything, especially the thicker, larger, or blunt end considered as a bottom, base, support, or handle, as of a log, fishing rod, or pistol.

  2. an end that is not used or consumed; remnant: a cigar butt.

  1. a lean cut of pork shoulder.

  2. Slang. the buttocks.

  3. Slang. a cigarette.

Origin of butt

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bott “(thick) end, buttock,” Old English butt “tree stump” (in placenames); akin to Swedish but “stump,” Danish but “stubby”; further origin uncertain; cf. buttock

Words that may be confused with butt

Words Nearby butt

Other definitions for butt (2 of 5)

butt2
[ buht ]

noun
  1. a person or thing that is an object of wit, ridicule, sarcasm, contempt, etc.

  2. a target.

  1. (on a rifle range)

    • a wall of earth located behind the targets to prevent bullets from scattering over a large area.

    • butts, a wall behind which targets can be safely lowered, scored, and raised during firing practice.

  2. Obsolete. a goal; limit.

verb (used without object)
  1. to have an end or projection on; be adjacent to; abut.

verb (used with object)
  1. to position or fasten an end (of something).

  2. to place or join the ends (of two things) together; set end-to-end.

Origin of butt

2
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French but “target, goal,” probably ultimately from Old Norse bútr “stump, log” (from the use of a wooden block or stump as a target in archery, etc.); cf. butt1, butte

Other words for butt

Other definitions for butt (3 of 5)

butt3
[ buht ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to strike or push with the head or horns.

verb (used without object)
  1. to strike or push something or at something with the head or horns.

  2. to project.

  1. Machinery. (of wheels in a gear train) to strike one another instead of meshing.

noun
  1. a push or blow with the head or horns.

Verb Phrases
  1. butt in, to meddle in the affairs or intrude in the conversation of others; interfere: It was none of his concern, so he didn't butt in.

  2. butt out, to stop meddling in the affairs or intruding in the conversation of others: I tried to talk some sense into him and was told to butt out.

Origin of butt

3
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English butten, bouten, from Anglo-French buter, butter, Old French bouter, buter “to thrust, strike,” from Germanic; compare Old Norse bauta “to strike,” Middle Dutch botten “to strike, sprout”; cf. beat

Other definitions for butt (4 of 5)

butt4
[ buht ]

noun
  1. a large cask for wine, beer, or ale.

  2. any cask or barrel.

  1. any of various units of capacity, usually considered equal to two hogsheads.

Origin of butt

4
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English but(t)e, bot(t), from Anglo-French bo(u)t(e); Middle French, from Old Provençal bota, from Late Latin butta, buttis, akin to Greek boût(t)is “vessel in the shape of a frustum of a cone” (of pre-Greek origin)

Other definitions for butt (5 of 5)

butt5

or but

[ buht ]

nounplural (especially collectively) butt, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) butts.
  1. any of several flatfishes, especially the halibut.

Origin of butt

5
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English but(te), botte; cognate with Swedish butta “turbot,” German Butt “brill, turbot, flounder,” Dutch bot “flounder”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use butt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for butt (1 of 5)

butt1

/ (bʌt) /


noun
  1. the thicker or blunt end of something, such as the end of the stock of a rifle

  2. the unused end of something, esp of a cigarette; stub

  1. tanning the portion of a hide covering the lower backside of the animal

  2. US and Canadian informal the buttocks

  3. US a slang word for cigarette

  4. building trades short for butt joint, butt hinge

Origin of butt

1
C15 (in the sense: thick end of something, buttock): related to Old English buttuc end, ridge, Middle Dutch bot stumpy

British Dictionary definitions for butt (2 of 5)

butt2

/ (bʌt) /


noun
  1. a person or thing that is the target of ridicule, wit, etc

  2. shooting archery

    • a mound of earth behind the target on a target range that stops bullets or wide shots

    • the target itself

    • (plural) the target range

  1. a low barrier, usually of sods or peat, behind which sportsmen shoot game birds, esp grouse

  2. archaic goal; aim

verb
  1. (usually foll by on or against) to lie or be placed end on to; abut: to butt a beam against a wall

Origin of butt

2
C14 (in the sense: mark for archery practice): from Old French but; related to French butte knoll, target

British Dictionary definitions for butt (3 of 5)

butt3

/ (bʌt) /


verb
  1. to strike or push (something) with the head or horns

  2. (intr) to project; jut

  1. (intr ; foll by in or into) to intrude, esp into a conversation; interfere; meddle

  2. butt out informal, mainly US and Canadian to stop interfering or meddling

noun
  1. a blow with the head or horns

Origin of butt

3
C12: from Old French boter, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch botten to strike; see beat, button

Derived forms of butt

  • butter, noun

British Dictionary definitions for butt (4 of 5)

butt4

/ (bʌt) /


noun
  1. a large cask, esp one with a capacity of two hogsheads, for storing wine or beer

  2. a US unit of liquid measure equal to 126 US gallons

Origin of butt

4
C14: from Old French botte, from Old Provençal bota, from Late Latin buttis cask, perhaps from Greek butinē chamber pot

British Dictionary definitions for Butt (5 of 5)

Butt

/ (bʌt) /


noun
  1. Dame Clara . 1872–1936, English contralto

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