Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense butts, present participle butting, past tense, past participle butted
1. countable noun
Someone's butt is their bottom.
[mainly US, informal]
Frieda grinned, pinching him on the butt.
Synonyms: bottom [informal], behind [informal], bum [British, slang], seat More Synonyms of butt
2. countable noun [oft noun NOUN]
The butt or the butt endof a weapon or tool is the thick end of its handle.
Troops used tear gas and rifle butts to break up the protests.
Your left hand should be wrapped fairly firmly around the butt end of the club.
Synonyms: end, handle, shaft, stock More Synonyms of butt
3. countable noun [oft noun NOUN]
The buttof a cigarette or cigar is the small part of it that is left when someone has finished smoking it.
He dropped his cigarette butt into the street below.
He paused to stub out the butt of his cigar.
Synonyms: stub, end, base, foot More Synonyms of butt
4. countable noun
A butt is a large barrel used for collecting or storing liquid.
5. singular noun
If someone or something is thebuttof jokes or criticism, people often make fun of them or criticize them.
He is still the butt of cruel jokes about his humble origins. [+ of]
Synonyms: target, victim, object, point More Synonyms of butt
6. verb
If a person or animal butts you, they hit you with the top of their head.
Lawrence kept on butting me but the referee did not warn him. [VERB noun]
[Also VERB noun preposition]
Synonyms: knock, push, bump, punch More Synonyms of butt
7. See also head-butt, water butt
Phrasal verbs:
See butt in
See butt out
More Synonyms of butt
butt in British English1
(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
3. tanning
the portion of a hide covering the lower backside of the animal
4. US and Canadian informal
the buttocks
5. US a slang word for cigarette
6. building short for butt joint, butt hinge
Word origin
C15 (in the sense: thick end of something, buttock): related to Old English buttuc end, ridge, Middle Dutch bot stumpy
butt in British English2
(bʌt)
noun
1.
a person or thing that is the target of ridicule, wit, etc
2. shooting, archery
a.
a mound of earth behind the target on a target range that stops bullets or wide shots
b.
the target itself
c. (plural)
the target range
3.
a low barrier, usually of sods or peat, behind which grouse-shooters stand
4. archaic
a goal; aim
verb
5. (usually foll byon or against)
to lie or be placed end on to; abut
to butt a beam against a wall
Word origin
C14 (in the sense: mark for archery practice): from Old French but; related to French butte knoll, target
butt in British English3
(bʌt)
verb
1.
to strike or push (something) with the head or horns
2. (intransitive)
to project; jut
3. (intr; foll by in or into)
to intrude, esp into a conversation; interfere; meddle
4. butt out
noun
5.
a blow with the head or horns
Derived forms
butter (ˈbutter)
noun
Word origin
C12: from Old French boter, of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch botten to strike; see beat, button
butt in British English4
(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
Word origin
C14: from Old French botte, from Old Provençal bota, from Late Latin buttis cask, perhaps from Greek butinē chamber pot
Butt in British English
(bʌt)
noun
Dame Clara. 1872–1936, English contralto
butt in American English1
(bʌt)
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
3.
a.
a mound of earth, bales of straw, etc. behind a target, for receiving fired rounds or shot arrows
b.
a target
c. [pl.]
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
a.
a limit
b.
a goal
9. Tanning
the part of a hide or pelt that covered the animal's backside
verb transitive, verb intransitive
10.
to join end to end
Word origin
< 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 butt2); ME but, target, boundary < MFr bout, aim, goal, < abuter, to aim < à, at (< L ad) + but, goal (< ?); (sense 3a) ? infl. by Fr butte, mound < OFr buter
butt in American English2
(bʌt)
verb transitive
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)
verb intransitive
5.
to make a butting motion
6.
to move or drive headfirst
7.
to stick out; project
8.
to abut
noun
9.
a thrust with the head or horns
10.
a thrust in fencing
Idioms:
butt in
butt out!
Word origin
ME butten, to drive, thrust < OFr buter (< Frank *botan), to thrust against: for IE base see beat
butt in American English3
(bʌt)
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)
Word origin
ME butte < OFr botte < ML butta < LL buttis, cask
butt in American English4
(bʌt)
noun
any of various flatfishes, as the halibut or turbot
Word origin
ME butte, but; prob. < MLowG butte (> Swed butta, Du bot, Ger butte) < adj. butte, lumpy: akin to butt2
Word lists with
butt
General smoking terms
In other languages
butt
British English: butt VERB
If a person or animal butts you, they hit you with the top of their head.
He kept on butting me, but the referee did not warn him.