buttery

¹ American  

[buht-uh-ree] / ˈbʌt ə ri /

adjective

1. like, containing, or spread with butter.

2. resembling butter, as in smoothness or softness of texture.

   a vest of buttery leather.

3. grossly flattering; smarmy.

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buttery ² American  

[buht-uh-ree, buh-tree] / ˈbʌt ə ri, ˈbʌ tri /

noun

plural

butteries

1. Chiefly New England. a room or rooms in which the provisions, wines, and liquors of a household are kept; pantry; larder.

2. a room in colleges, especially at Oxford and Cambridge universities, from which articles of food and drink are sold or dispensed to the students.

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buttery ¹ British  

/ ˈbʌtərɪ /

adjective

1. containing, like, or coated with butter

2. informal grossly or insincerely flattering; obsequious

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buttery ² British  

/ ˈbʌtərɪ /

noun

1. a room for storing foods or wines

2. (in some universities) a room in which food is supplied or sold to students

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Other Word Forms

• butteriness noun

Etymology

Origin of buttery¹

First recorded in 1350–1400;  Middle English buttry, buttrie; butter, -y ¹

Origin of buttery²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English boterie, butry, from Middle French, Old French, from Late Latin botāria (derivative of bota, butta “cask”) + -erie; butt ⁴, -ery

Example Sentences

Lactococcus lactis was associated with buttery aromas, while Limosilactobacillus fermentum produced sugar alcohols that can add a mild sweetness.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

His voice - bruised, buttery and intimate - has been an inescapable undercurrent of Bollywood, narrating heartbreaks, longings and reconciliations for millions for more than a decade.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026

“For sidewalk surfing — it’s almost like dance for me. Altadena, where I lived, east of Lake, had the most buttery streets for skateboarding. I miss that. I miss the trees and the history there.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

And its earthy, buttery, creamy, health-friendly products have even become cool.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026

The lobster cakes were hot and buttery, brown and crunchy on the outside, sweet and white on the inside.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk