buttˈer-bird noun

In Jamaica, the bobolink

butter-biscuit see butter-bake above.

buttˈer-boat noun

A container for melted butter at table

buttˈer-box noun

1. A box for butter
2. An old nickname for a Dutchman

buttˈerbur or buttˈerdock noun

A plant related to coltsfoot with knobbed masses of flower-heads and great rhubarb-like leaves

butter cloth or butter muslin noun

A loose-woven cloth formerly used for wrapping butter

buttˈer-cooler noun

A dish for keeping butter in water at table

butter cream noun

Butter and sugar beaten together with flavouring and sometimes colouring and used to fill and top cakes, etc

buttˈercup noun

A crowfoot (genus Ranunculus), esp of one of those species that have golden-yellow cup-shaped flowers

butter dish or butter plate noun

A dish or plate for holding butter at table

butterdock see butterbur above.

buttered eggs plural noun (archaic)

Scrambled eggs

buttˈerfat noun

The fat contained in butter, chiefly glycerides of palmitic and oleic acids

buttˈerfingered adjective (informal).

buttˈerfingers singular noun (informal)

Someone who lets a ball, etc they ought to catch slip through their fingers

buttˈerfish noun

A name for various slimy fishes, esp the gunnel

buttˈerfly noun (pl buttˈerflies)

1. A general name for any of the daylight Lepidoptera, roughly distinguished from moths by their clubbed antennae
2. A frivolous, flighty person
3. Butterfly stroke (often shortened to fly)
4. (in pl) butterflies in the stomach

adjective

Light, flighty, like a butterfly

buttˈerfly-bow noun

A bow whose loops and ends are spread like a butterfly's wings

butterfly bush noun

Buddleia

butterfly clip or butterfly plaster noun

A lightweight adhesive plaster, with broadened ends, used in place of a suture to draw together the edges of superficial wounds

butterfly effect noun

The theory that a small variation at the beginning of a process can lead to a huge variation at a later stage

butterfly fish noun

1. A blenny with an eye-spot on the dorsal fin
2. Any fish of the family Chaetodontidae

butterfly flower noun

One adapted for pollination by butterflies

butterfly kiss noun

A caress consisting of fluttering the eyelashes against one's partner's skin

butterfly knife noun

A folding pocket knife with two rotating handles

butterfly net noun

A small-meshed conical net with a wide round open end on a hoop attached to a handle, used for catching butterflies

butterfly nut see butterfly screw below.

butterfly orchis or butterfly orchid noun

Any of various orchids with flowers resembling a butterfly

butterfly plaster see butterfly clip above.

butterfly screw or butterfly nut noun

A screw or nut turned by winged finger-grips

butterfly stroke noun (swimming)

A stroke performed lying on one's front, the arms working simultaneously with an overarm action, and with an undulating movement of both legs together from the hips

butterfly valve noun

1. A disc-shaped valve in a carburettor, etc
2. A valve consisting of two hinged plates

butterfly weed noun

Pleurisy-root

butterhead lettuce noun

A kind of soft-leaved yellow-hearted lettuce

butter icing noun

Butter cream

butter knife noun

A blunt knife for taking butter from a butter dish

buttˈermilk noun

The liquid that remains after butter has been separated from cream by churning

butter muslin see butter cloth above.

buttˈernut noun

1. The oily nut of the N American white walnut
2. The tree itself
3. Its light-coloured close-grained wood
4. A brownish-grey
5. An edible nut of the souari (genus Caryocar) tree of Guiana (also called souari-nut)

butter oil noun

A dairy product consisting almost entirely of milk fat

buttˈer-paper noun

A translucent greaseproof paper suitable for wrapping butter

butter pat noun

1. A pat of butter
2. Each of a pair of wooden bats for working butter into shape

butter plate see butter dish above.

buttˈer-print noun

1. A mould for shaping butter
2. A child (obs sl)

buttˈerscotch noun

1. A kind of hard toffee containing much butter
2. A flavouring made from or similar to this

buttˈer-tree noun

Any of various trees that yield a buttery substance, esp of the genera Bassia, Butyrospermum, Caryocar, Pentadesma

buttˈer-wife or buttˈer-woman noun (obsolete)

A woman who makes and sells butter

buttˈerwort noun

Any species of Pinguicula, a genus of insectivorous bog-plants (family Lentibulariaceae) with glistening sticky leaves

buttˈery-fingered adjective

Butterfingered

buttery fingers singular noun

Butterfingers

butterflies in the stomach (informal)

Nervous tremors in the stomach

butter up (informal)

To flatter

look as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth

To look speciously innocent or well-behaved