bread-and-butter

1 of 2

adjective

bread-and-but·​ter ˈbred-ən(d)-ˈbə-tər 

1

a

: being as basic as the earning of one's livelihood

bread-and-butter issues

b(1)

: reliable

our bread-and-butter repertoire

(2)

: dependable as a source of income

a company's bread-and-butter products

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter letter

bread and butter

2 of 2

noun

: a means of sustenance or livelihood

Examples of bread-and-butter in a Sentence

Noun

Casual clothing has always been the company's bread and butter.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

He’s routinely refocused Labour away from metropolitan lifestyle liberalism, to bread-and-butter issues of government delivering good service. —The Editors, National Review, 17 May 2025

This party-ready potato salad is made for pickle-lovers with dill pickle relish, pickled okra, and bread-and-butter pickle chips. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2025

Noun

But like clockwork, the Pacers went right back to their bread and butter: pick-and-roll with a twist. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 24 May 2025

Almost anyone would agree that vintage handbags and clothing are the bread and butter of any great tastemaker’s wardrobe in today’s world. —Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1770, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bread-and-butter

• kilometre
• butter
• clutter
• cutter
• flutter
• gutter
• mutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter

Kids Definition

bread-and-butter

adjective

ˌbred-ᵊn-ˈbət-ər

1

a

: concerned with or being as basic as earning a living

bread-and-butter economic issues

b

: dependable

bread-and-butter products that always sell

2

: sent or given as thanks for hospitality

a bread-and-butter note