butt

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /bʌt/ UK /bʌt/ See IPA manual

Homophones

but /ˈbʌt/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like bot /ʌ/ vs /ɑ/

Meanings

1

noun
the thicker or blunt end of something; to strike with the head

He gripped the rifle by the butt and crept forward.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the thicker or blunt end of... end stub stockhaftramheadbuttstrike push

Word family

Derived forms buttedbutting

Related forms buttock abut

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

butt weld
a welded connection between pieces placed with their ends or edges against each other

Noun + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Sticking feathers up your butt doesn't make you a chicken

Simplified etymology

Butt in the sense “end,” as in a cigarette butt or rifle butt, is of uncertain origin, though comparable forms occur in other Germanic languages. The same word has denoted the buttocks since medieval English and is related to Old English buttock.

Etymology

The 'thick end' sense is from Middle English but, of Low German or Dutch origin, related to buttock. The verb 'to strike with the head' is from Old French boter ('to thrust, push'), of Germanic origin.

boter Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# butt

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /bʌt/
**IPA (UK):** /bʌt/

## Meanings
1. the thicker or blunt end of something; to strike with the head

## Examples
- He gripped the rifle by the butt and crept forward.

## Synonyms
- end
- stub
- stock
- haft
- ram
- headbutt
- strike
- push

## Derived Forms
- butted
- butting

## Related Forms
- buttock
- abut

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: boter

## Etymology
The 'thick end' sense is from Middle English but, of Low German or Dutch origin, related to buttock. The verb 'to strike with the head' is from Old French boter ('to thrust, push'), of Germanic origin.

## AI Etymology
Butt is the 'thick end' sense is from Middle English but, of Low German or Dutch origin, related to buttock. The verb 'to strike with the head' is from Old French boter ('to thrust, push'), of Germanic origin. Important recorded forms include boter (Old French). The current sense covers the thicker or blunt end of something; to strike with the head. The wider family includes derived forms such as butted and butting and related words such as buttock and abut.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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