I. ˈbət, usu -əd.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English butten, from Old French boter, bouter, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German bōzan to beat — more at beat
intransitive verb
1. : to thrust or push headforemost : strike with the head or horns
butting and kicking
butting against the fence
2. of gears : to mesh improperly so that only the tips of the teeth touch
transitive verb
: to strike or shove with the head or horns
butted his opponent heavily in the ribs
: drive by striking or pushing with the head
butted him through the gate and out of the yard
II. noun
( -s )
: a blow or thrust with the head or horns : an act of butting
III. noun
or but “
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English butte, from Middle Dutch but, butte or Middle Low German but; akin to Middle Dutch bot blunt, Low German butt, Old Norse būtr log, Old High German bōzan to beat — more at beat
: flounder , flatfish ; especially : halibut
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English but, butte, partly from Middle French but goal, target, of Germanic origin (akin to Old Norse būtr log); partly probably from Middle French bute mound of earth serving as a backstop for a target, from but target
1.
a. : a mound, bank, or other backstop for catching arrows shot at a target
b. : target
c. : a mound or bank that catches rifle bullets or other projectiles (as for protecting men operating targets on a target range)
d. butts plural : range 5a(3)
e. : a stand concealed by a parapet or thicket or sunk in the ground and used for shooting birds
2.
a. obsolete : limit , bound , goal
b. archaic : the object of one's efforts : end , aim
3.
a. : a person at whom ridicule or jokes are directed : laughingstock
a favorite butt of the village wits
b. : an object of criticism, abuse, contempt, or swindling : victim , mark
the butt of a propaganda attack
cardsharpers and their butts
V. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: partly from butt (IV) , partly from butt (VI)
intransitive verb
: to meet or adjoin at the end : abut — used with on
the crofts are usually long and narrow, one end butting on the fields — M.W.Beresford
or against
the plate butts against the end stop secured on the front end of the planer — J.M.Walter
transitive verb
1. obsolete : to lay out the limits of : bound
2.
a. : to place (as a beam) end to end with another : set (two pieces) together with the ends meeting but not overlapping
b. : to trim or otherwise cause to meet or be joined along the edges (as strips of wallpaper)
3.
a. : to place end to end (as two type slugs to make a longer line than can be cast in one piece)
b. : to fit corner to corner (as border rules to make a box)
c. : to position (two printing plates) so close together that the printing surfaces meet
4. : to trim or square off the end of (as a log or a shoulder of meat)
5.
a. : to strike (a fish) by depressing the butt of the rod so as to obtain a sudden tension of the line
b. : to set (as a ladder) on the bottom end
6. : to reduce (as a cigarette) to a butt by stubbing or stamping
hastily butted their cigarettes and came to attention
VI. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English but, butte, probably of native origin and akin to Old English buttuc end, piece of land, Middle English buttok buttock, Low German butt blunt — more at butt (fish)
1.
a. slang : buttocks
b.
(1) : the large end of a beef loin
(2) : the body end of a pork shoulder
c. : the thicker or handle end of a tool or weapon
the butt of a spear
the butt of a whip
the butt of an arrow
d.
(1) : the end of a rifle stock that is placed against the shoulder when fired : the end of a rifle opposite the muzzle
(2) : the bottom of the grip of a pistol
e. : the base section of a fishing rod upon which the reel is mounted
f. : the end of a connecting rod or similar link in a machine, enlarged and squared off (as for the attachment of an adjacent link)
g. of the hand : the heel or part nearest the wrist
h. : butt hinge
2.
a. : the end of a plant from which the roots spring (as the base of a tree trunk) : the big end of a log ; also : the end of a stalk or twig opposite to the flowering end
the butt of a cornstalk
asparagus butts
b. : the thick end of a plank, plate, bar, board, or shingle
c. : the heavy or bottom end of a ladder
d.
(1) : a fitting that serves as a coupling at the end of a line of hose
(2) : the end of a hose
3.
a. : a tree stump ; specifically : a walnut stump
b. : an unused or unburned end (as of a candle or a cigarette or cigar)
c. slang : cigarette
d. slang : a remaining part
two more years and a butt of a prison term
e. obsolete : a strip of plowed land shortened by abutting against some object (as a river, a highway, or a neighboring furlong) : selion
4.
a. : the part of a hide or skin corresponding to the animal's back and sides after trimming off shoulders and belly, containing the thickest and stoutest leather, and used for harness, belting, soles of shoes — see hide illustration
b. : the thickest part of a leaf spring where the leaves have not been thinned by tapering or drawing
5. : a place where a stratum of rock to be quarried is cut off by other rock
6. : the posterior end of the dubbing of an artificial fly — see fly illustration
VII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French botte, from Old Provençal bota, from Late Latin buttis, perhaps of non-Indo-European origin; akin to the source of Greek pytinē, a kind of wine bottle, Greek dialect (Tarentum) bytinē chamber pot
1. : a large cask especially for wine, beer, or water or formerly for salmon and shrimps
2. : any of various units of liquid capacity: as
a. : a measure equal to 108 imperial gallons (2 hogsheads of 54 gallons each)
b. : a Spanish unit for wine equal to 140 United States gallons or 116.57 imperial gallons
VIII. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English but, butt ridge of ground between two furrows, from Medieval Latin butta, buttis, perhaps from Late Latin buttis cask
now dialect : a small piece of ground separated or set out in any way from the surrounding land