Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A soft yellowish or whitish emulsion of butterfat, water, air, and sometimes salt, churned from milk or cream and processed for use in cooking and as a food.
- noun Any of various substances similar to butter, especially.
- noun A spread made from fruit, nuts, or other foods.
- noun A vegetable fat having a nearly solid consistency at ordinary temperatures.
- noun Flattery.
- transitive verb To put butter on or in.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One who or that which butts; an animal that butts.
- noun A machine for sawing off the ends of boards, to square them and remove faulty parts.
- To smear with butter.
- To flatter grossly: as, he buttered him to his heart's content.
- In gambling slang, to stake the previous winnings, with addition, at every throw or every game.
- noun The fatty portion of milk.
- noun In old chemistry, a term applied to certain anhydrous metallic chlorids of buttery consistence and fusibility.
- In cricket, to fail to make a simple and easy catch; to muff.
- noun An obsolete form of
bittern . Comparebutterbump . - noun One who has charge of a butt or fire-bucket. See
butt , n., 1.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To cover or spread with butter.
- transitive verb Cant To increase, as stakes, at every throw or every game.
- noun An oily, unctuous substance obtained from cream or milk by churning.
- noun Any substance resembling butter in degree of consistence, or other qualities, especially, in old chemistry, the chlorides, as
butter of antimony , sesquichloride of antimony; also, certain concrete fat oils remaining nearly solid at ordinary temperatures, asbutter of cacao ,vegetable butter ,shea butter . - noun a small vessel for holding melted butter at table.
- noun the buttercup, a yellow flower.
- noun a piece of carved wood used to mark pats of butter; -- called also
butter stamp . - noun either of the two middle incisors of the upper jaw.
- noun (Bot.) a tree of the genus Bassia, the seeds of which yield a substance closely resembling butter. The butter tree of India is the
Bassia butyracea ; that of Africa is the Shea tree (Bassia Parkii ). SeeShea tree . - noun a tool used in sampling butter.
- noun [Obs. or Archaic] a woman who makes or sells butter; -- called also
butter woman . - noun One who, or that which, butts.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Someone who
butts ; someone whobutts in - noun uncountable A soft, fatty foodstuff made by
churning thecream ofmilk (generally cow's milk). - noun countable, obsolete, chemistry Any specific
soft substance . - noun uncountable Any of various foodstuffs made from other foods or oils, similar in consistency to, eaten like or intended as a substitute for butter (preceded by the name of the food used to make it).
- verb transitive To
spread butter on. - verb To move one's weight backwards or forwards onto the tips or tails of one's skis or snowboard so only the tip or tail is in contact with the snow.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use
- noun a fighter who strikes the opponent with his head
- verb spread butter on
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word butter.
Examples
-
But it is not so readily digestible as butter is; is more liable to give rise to the butyric acid fermentations in the stomach; is not nearly so appetizing; and its sale as, and under the name of, _butter_ is a fraud which the law rightly forbids and punishes.
A Handbook of Health Woods Hutchinson 1896
-
Evidently the making of butter was almost totally discontinued, for in his last instructions, completed only a few days before his death, he wrote: "And It is hoped and will be expected, that more effectual measures will be pursued to make butter another year; for it is almost beyond belief, that from 101 Cows actually reported on a late enumeration of the Cattle, that I am obliged to _buy butter_ for the use of my family."
George Washington: Farmer Paul Leland Haworth
-
Mash lightly, then add in butter and continue to mash potatoes until butter is well incorporated.
-
Whisk in butter and a vanilla paste until butter is melted and custard is smooth.
Archive 2007-09-01 2007
-
Whisk in butter and a vanilla paste until butter is melted and custard is smooth.
-
Hmm ... butter is definitely yum but I don't know about drinking it; P Seriously - these were * drowning* in butter, and I don't mean a thin film.
True grits | Homesick Texan Homesick Texan 2006
-
If the butter is a little firmer, that will help, too!
-
In the simplest terms, cocoa butter is the fat in chocolate that makes it melt in your mouth and in your hand.
-
Add cold butter and pulse in a food processor (a pastry cutter or a fork will work also) until the butter is the size of small peas.
Archive 2008-05-01 2008
-
Add cold butter and pulse in a food processor (a pastry cutter or a fork will work also) until the butter is the size of small peas.
Mini Cinnamon Rolls 2008
oroboros commented on the word butter
Betty Botta bought some butter,
"But," said she, "my butter's bitter.
If I put it in my batter,
It will make my batter bitter;
But a better bit of butter
Will but make my batter better."
So she bought some better butter,
Put it in her bitter batter,
Made her bitter batter better.
So 'twas better Betta Botta
Bought a bit of better butter!
--Tongue Twisters and Tricky Tanglers by Duncan Emrich
September 11, 2007
seanahan commented on the word butter
That's a tough one.
September 12, 2007
chained_bear commented on the word butter
Taken at Yorktown, "300 firkins butter." A week or two later, the official report added another "361 firkins butter, (weight) 19,870 lb."
October 29, 2007
fbharjo commented on the word butter
formed around the Greek word for cheese - turos bouturon
September 20, 2008
gangerh commented on the word butter
I can believe that, fbh.
September 20, 2008
sionnach commented on the word butter
to cheat or defraud in a smooth or plausible Manner; as, He'll not be Battered; He's aware of your Design, He's upon his Guard,
May 9, 2009
ruzuzu commented on the word butter
For your consideration: http://m.imgur.com/boUQ0Kw
November 16, 2013
bilby commented on the word butter
I can't believe it's not Stonehenge.
November 17, 2013
Logophile77 commented on the word butter
One who butts. Contrast with buttor and butress.
December 10, 2017